In early July Governor O'Malley appointed five members to a federal and state redistricting advisory committee which will conduct public hearings over the summer and fall throughout Maryland on proposed changes to the legislative district boundaries. The Committee is charged with submitting a draft of the revised district boundaries to the Maryland General Assembly in a special legislative session to be held in October. The changes must then be approved by both houses of the Assembly during the legislative session opening on January 11, 2012. The Assembly can amend the Govenor's proposed changes or can draft its own plan and the new district boundaries will go into effect for the Presidential elections of 2012.
In the Third Congressional District where RRLRAIA neighborhoods are located changes will probably not be significant. The district currently snakes in a north-south corridor into and around Baltimore City, and through Baltimore, Howard and Anne Arundel Counties, including Annapolis. By federal law each district should ideally represent 721,529 voters. The 2010 Census records the Third District population at 719,856 so fewer then 2,000 voters may need to be added by altering the current boundaries. However there are several efforts underway to completely revamp the district boundaries because the existing contorted shapes do not meet the letter of Maryland law which states that the districts should be "compact and contiguous." Boundaries must also meet the requirements of the Federal Voting Act and the 14th Amendment which attempt to legislate against discrimination of most kinds. Although the current Third District population is just greater than fifty percent white, the remaining percentage is quite diverse. At the State level RRLRAIA is currently represented by the Forty Second Legislative District. The ideal representation for a state senatorial district has been adjusted to 122,813 by the new census date. The Forty Second District voter count currently stands at 114,732. The district boundaries must expand to include more than 7,000 new voters. By the most recent census information this District is largely white. For information on the date, time and location of the advisory committe hearings on proposed federal and state changes visit www.mdp.state.md.us/redistricting/2010/publicHearings.shtml. At the County level RRLRAIA is represented by the Second and the Fifth Councilmanic Districts. Three public hearings before the County Council's appointed Redistricting Commission were held in the spring and the findings were submitted to the County Council in late June. Charged with crafting districts which are "...compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population..." by the County Charter, the Commission grappled with a Baltimore County population increase of more than 50,000 people. The ideal district voter total was proposed at 115,293 people. The Second District suffered a 3.75% decline in population while the Fifth District gained 5% against 2001 statistics. Keeping to themes of restoring and maintaining communities (i.e., Mays Chapel and Reisterstown) the Commission submitted a map that places several new neighborhoods in theSecond District but with few changes to the Fifth District. The County Council held a public hearing on August 1st about the proposed changes. RRLRAIA is in support of the proposed Councilmanic District boundaries. For further information visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/countycouncil/redistricting.html. |
