Maryland redistricting talks continue
MARYLAND – Every ten years the state of Maryland is required to take a look at its legislative districts, and adjust them if needed. It’s that time again, and local legislators say equal representation is especially important on the Eastern Shore. “If we did redistrict, there would be greater opportunity or greater participation, I think, for the minority party,” said State Senator Addie Eckardt.
Advocates say population growth and shifts in local demographics are at the forefront of the discussion. “It’s a strikingly different Lower Shore than it was ten years ago. Salisbury, Fruitland, and Princess Anne have all become minority majority cities,” said Chair of the Talbot County Democratic Central Committee Patrick Firth.
That’s why some are proposing reworking District 38B to include Somerset County, moving Delmar to District 37… creating district 37C to represent Talbot County and part of Caroline County, and moving toward more single member districts. Sen. Eckardt says single member districts, as opposed to multi member districts, help ensure fairer representation. “In one way, it stacks the deck, and by that I mean it gives greater opportunity for representation for an individual to be elected,” she said.
At this point, these are just proposed ides. Nothing is set in stone yet, and the final maps could look different than the ones on the table right now. “The way we’ve drawn our maps means that we can hit those population targets,” said Firth.
Firth agrees. He tells 47ABC the goal is to make sure underserved and underrepresented communities get an equal opportunity to make their voices heard across the bridge. “A more diverse, younger district would give, frankly, local leadership and stakeholders in our communities empowered constituents to get them elected and represented in Annapolis,” said Firth.
The Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission will have their final public hearing Wednesday, October 27th at 6 p.m. You can register to give testimony by clicking here. To simply watch the meeting, click here. In December, legislators are expected to hold a special session to take the final steps in the process.
