If you thought the political climate in Alabama was sourced by deep partisan politics, just wait. As they say, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

This week, Alabama’s legislative leaders announced a plan to tackle Congressional redistricting during the 2011 Regular Session to avoid reconvening the Legislature for a special session later to address the issue.

According to media reports, legislators are planning a two-week series of public hearings across the state in May to hear voters’ input on how the Legislature should redraw district lines. The effort is done each decade, after each Census, to allegedly reflect population changes.

But, this time should be quite different than in year’s past. With a Republican-controlled House and Senate, the GOP is in position to strengthen any potentially weak districts, such as the one held by freshman Congresswoman Martha Roby, and potentially weaken any Democratic strongholds, such as the one held by freshman Congresswoman Terri Sewell.

With only one of Alabama’s seven congressional representatives being Democrat, it only makes sense for Sewell’s district to be targeted.

Republicans know their chances of winning a congressional district made up of a majority of Black Belt counties is slim, but local leaders must fight against portions of the 7th District being chipped away and absorbed into other districts.

There will be those who say redistricting is done without political influence, but we know better. For far too long Democrats took advantage of their positions in the House and Senate to weaken strong Republican districts — or at least attempted to do so — and now the GOP has a chance to play pay back.