Democrats in the State Senate are pushing for what they call fair redistricting. The legislature meets this month to redraw district maps.
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered legislative maps to be redrawn because previous ones were illegally racially gerrymandered.
Lawmakers heard public comments on Friday. During a Friday press conference, Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue introduced the Democrats' ideas for what he described as fair maps.
“[The maps] try to ensure that everybody across the state has an opportunity to elect their candidate of choice, and at the same time, a candidate who represents the makeup of the community from which they come, not a candidate that has engineered a district that he likes,” Blue said.
The legislature has until September 1st to submit new district maps for review by a panel of federal judges.
“We're here today to help them create constitutional maps, but we know that action speaks louder than words,” Blue said. “Up to this point, the actions taken by the majority don't instill a lot of faith in their sincerity of bringing these legislative maps into compliance with the law.”
Blue cited Republicans' year-long wait to redraw maps and their choice of consultant Tom Hofeller to lead the effort. Hofeller also drew the maps that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled illegal.