Lawmakers will be back at the Capitol this summer for a special session. They need to redraw legislative maps from new census data. And the redistricting effort is already off to a rough start.

Indeed, Democrats and some watchdog groups say partisanship is tainting the redistricting process.

That's because Republican leadership created an office that will allow committees of lawmakers to oversee the redrawing of district maps.

Previously, an independent institute at the University of Georgia was in charge of the work.

House Committee Chairman Roger Lane of Darien says the new system will save costs.

“The committee that decides state contracts decided in the long run we may save money bringing it in-house, having all the people in that office working for the legislature," he said this week. "And when redistricting is all over, we can maybe downsize somewhat and not be held to that long-term contract.”

He said the process will be nonpartisan, and the workers from UGA's Carl Vinson Institute of Government will still be involved.

But watchdog groups say the process is not fair because lawmakers will be too involved with the redrawing of district maps, including their own possibly.

Tracey-Ann Nelson of The League of Women Voters of Georgia says the process was nonpartisan when the Carl Vinson Institute of Government was in charge of the work.

"Our concern is that there is not a level of academia or transparency in place as a result of the University of Georgia’s contract not being renewed," she said. "You know, some may say, ‘Well it doesn’t make a difference. They are using the same people.’ But the accountability process is different.”

Nelson said there's also reason for concern over the attorney who is advising lawmakers on redistricting. Anne Lewis serves as counsel to the state Republican Party, and has handled several politically charged legal efforts in the state, including the defense of the state’s voter ID law. Lewis also wrote a brief that then-Gov. Sonny Perdue filed with the U.S. Supreme Court challenging the Voting Rights Act.

A series of public meetings to educate people about the process will begin in May.

The special session will take place in August and will cost the state $3.8 million.

Contributors: Associated Press

Tags: census, special session, redistricting, Anne Lewis, Roger Lane, League of Women Voters