Politics & Government

Tech to Host Hearing about Redrawing of Legislative Districts

Have your say about the upcoming redistricting process.

Every ten years, following the census, the state redraws its legislative districts. 

"The process of reapportionment and redistricting is essential to the governance of our state, and it is critical that citizens be actively engaged in the process," Dist. 59 state Rep. Margaret Kaiser (D-Atlanta), who represents neighborhoods including Midtown, said in a recent email.

"How YOU will be governed for years to come is at stake," she said. 

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You can share your thoughts about the process next week. 

On Thursday, June 30, a hearing will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the LeCraw Auditorium in the Georgia Tech College of Management building. The auditorium is located at 800 West Peachtree Street,  suite 100. 

Kaiser, in her email, answered some questions about the process:

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WHAT IS REDISTRICTING?
Redistricting is the process of redrawing legislative lines, defining the districts from which people are elected to public office - from cities and school boards to state officials and congressional representatives. Redistricting takes place after the census is completed every 10 years.  

IS REDISTRICTING DIFFERENT FROM REAPPORTIONMENT?
Technically yes; but as a practical matter no. Reapportionment in its most narrow, technical sense refers to the allocation of representatives to previously established voting areas, as when Congress allocates, or "apportions," seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. But the terms reapportionment and redistricting are generally used interchangeably and refer to the entire process.

WHY DO DISTRICT LINES NEED TO BE REDRAWN?
The U.S. Constitution and the federal courts require it. It's also the fair and equitable thing to do. Historically, many states did not redistrict to reflect shifts and growth in their populations. As a consequence, the voting power of residents of heavily populated areas was often significantly diluted. In Georgia statewide contests, for example, a vote in 45 sparsely populated rural counties had 45 times the weight of a vote in urban Fulton County. The voters from the 103 smallest counties in the state, which had only 22 percent of the population, also elected a majority of the members of the house.

WHO DRAWS THE LINES?
In most states, the state legislature is responsible for drawing district lines. However, thirteen states (Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington) use special redistricting commissions to draw state legislative districts. Six of these states (Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Jersey, Washington) also use a board or commission to draw congressional plans, while seven states (Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas) use an advisory or remedial commission in the event the legislature is unable to pass new plans. Iowa is different from all other states in that district plans are developed by nonpartisan legislative staff with limited criteria for developing plans.  

In some states, Georgia, for example, historic problems with drawing maps that fairly represented the current population have placed them under a judicial watch, which many times has required a court intervention for map drawing.

WHAT CAN CITIZENS DO?
It is critical for every citizen to be involved in the reapportionment process. Here are some ways you can be involved:

  1. Attend local public hearings. Hearings are in process now. Please check the Web site www.georgiafairdistricts.com or the state's Web site www.legis.ga.gov to learn more about hearings near you.
  2. When you attend a hearing, sign up to speak to be certain their concerns are made part of the public record.
  3. Plan to attend organizational and community briefings on reapportionment. (Contact local places of worship, civic organizations and affinity groups for event calendars.

 VIDEO LINKS TO HEARINGS
If you missed a hearing in your area, you can watch the video by visiting the Georgia state Web site at www.legis.ga.gov.

GEORGIAFAIRDISTRICTS.COM
A fair, transparent and open process is necessary to ensure that every citizen is adequately represented in government. In order to be certain your views are heard or to stay apprised of the latest reapportionment events and activities, please visit www.georgiafairdistricts.com. On this site you can see Georgia maps, make a comment or check out links to recent reapportionment hearings.

GEORGIA SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION
All of the reapportionment hearings and comments will culminate in a Special Session of the Georgia State Legislature, beginning August 15, 2011. All state House and Senate members will be called back to Atlanta to vote on new maps. This Special Session is expected to last at least four weeks.


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