There’s Still Time to Make Redistricting Suggestions
by Hugh McQuaid | Aug 17, 2011 9:40pm
(4) Comments | Commenting has expired
Posted to: State Capitol
It’s too soon to tell which legislative districts will have their lines shifted by Connecticut’s population fluctuation over the past decade, members of the General Assembly’s Reapportionment Committee said Wednesday.
The period for the public to give the redistricting committee suggestions and ideas for redrawing the legislative map won’t be over until the end of August, House Speaker Chris Donovan said after meeting with members of the committee. Until the committee has given everyone a chance to speak their mind, he said he couldn’t speculate on where changes will occur.
State House districts should include 23,678 residents while Senate districts are expected to include 99,280. But the 2010 census found that some districts across the state grew while others shrunk. Residents of those districts are now either under-represented in the General Assembly or over-represented.
Unlike Congressional districts, where federal law requires to the state to strictly adhere to around 714,000 residents, the committee is allowed some leeway when drawing the lines for the state legislature. State Senate and House districts can vary by 5 percent in either direction, Sen. Martin Looney, D-New Haven said.
“It is a limited degree of discretion,” he said.
The committee agreed that they are probably not looking to change the number of state legislators. House Minority Leader Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk, said they are likely keeping the numbers at 151 seats in the House and 36 in the Senate. But he said that is just a target, the committee will still consider suggestions from the public that involve changing the number.
The state’s constitution allows for between 30 and 50 lawmakers in the Senate and between 125 and 225 in the House.
Sen. President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, said giving the public an expected number allows residents to focus their suggestions on how they believe the lines should be drawn.
Donovan said the committee has already heard some suggestions and concerns of residents at redistricting hearings held across the state.
“[We] heard from western Connecticut in terms of state rep. seats in the Greenwich area as well as the northwest corner, there were some seats there. We’ve certainly heard a lot the Bloomfield, Windsor area. Those were the ones we heard from the public about,” he said.
The Reapportionment Committee has until Sept. 15 to agree on a redistricting plan. If they do not, the four ranking legislators will pick an eight-member commission, which the governor must appoint. That commission will then choose a ninth member. The group has until Nov. 30.
If an agreement cannot be reached by that time, the state Supreme Court gains the authority to draw the district boundaries itself.
-Click here to visit the Reapportionment Committee webpage
Tags: Redistricting, Hugh McQuaid, connecticut
(4) Comments
posted by: ASTANVET | August 18, 2011 9:15am
Here’s an idea – use the geographical lines for counties rather than this gerrymandering that further divides the population into the extreme left or extreme right groups. This process is the biggest fleecing of America and the great state of Connecticut. Would you go to a casino where the dealers had the ability to stack the deck before the hand is delt?
posted by: sharewhut | August 18, 2011 12:00pm
Better idea, fat chance of it ever happening as it would require a Constitutional Convention that ‘powers that be’ will never allow-
A unicameral legislature, composition based on ratio of 25000:1 (slightly above current house ratio). To make it even better,have all seats be non-partisan (see Nebraska).
Cutting down overall number would reduce the accompanying tag along staff (would keep the permanent capitol staff who keep it running year round, OFA and such). No party affiliations gets rid of ‘Deputy Assistant to the Minority Leader’s Designated Substitute During Tuesday Sessions’ kind of BS so that they can all get extra $$ for a “leadership” title.
Term limits imposed by voters, but at some point a call can be made for a fitness/competency review (sorry Edith, couldn’t resist that one!)
posted by: ASTANVET | August 18, 2011 9:25pm
The sad truth is that this is an incredibly important part of our electoral system, and not that many people even pay attention to, or care about it, but this process shapes the way we vote, the way our legislature, and congress are aligned to suit the power party of the moments agenda. Truly scary stuff. Great ideas Sharewhut!
posted by: sharewhut | August 19, 2011 3:22pm
Part of my feelings stem from disenfranchisement felt from living 30+ years in the 2nd Congressional District. Almost 1/2 of the State’s land mass. More than 1/3 of the States towns.
Mostly rural and suburban with conservative leanings.
Dominated year after year by the few urban areas and Mansfield. In addition to traditionally liberal/ultra liberal leaning academics, UConn students can register and vote as part of the district. Kind of makes that farmer out in Griswold or Ledyard feel his vote really counts.