The Joint Committee on Redistricting met today to discuss the upcoming calendar for redrawing district lines. For the first time in years, the Republican majority has the power to decide state voting lines. Co-Chairman Rep. David Lewis informed the committee that by July 20th a first-draft map will be available for review and public comment while the full Senate and House maps will be available on July 1st. Also, there will be two days, June 23rd and July 7th, where the public will have the chance to debate the proposed maps and offer any new ideas and concerns. Lewis hopes that the committee can finish its discussion by mid-July which will allow for Senate and House confirmation by the end of that month.
The fact that the Democrats aren’t in charge of this process led to some debate on the procedures and methods that the Republicans are planning to use. Representative Lewis confirmed that the committee would strictly adhere to the Voting Rights Act and the 2002 Supreme Court Stephenson decision. However, that still wasn’t good enough for some House Democrats; one of those being former Speaker of the House, Joe Hackney. Representative Hackney complained that the majority will draw the lines in secret and the Republicans will simply call the redistricting process “a process when it is not a process at all.” Co-Chair Senator Rucho countered by telling the committee that a bulk email had been sent to all committee Democrats with questions regarding what methods/ideas would work best for the beginning of redistricting. Not a single Democrat had replied. In regards to the secretiveness of Republicans, Senator Rucho reiterated that there would be two days for public comment (June 23rd/July7th). The Democrats had never once allowed public debate in years past.
The next few weeks will be eventful as Republicans will duke it out with Democrats over redistricting. Becky Gray talks more about redistricting on the Carolina Journal Radio website.
