Small Town News

Legislators call for open redisricting

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House, Senate call for public input

Delaware's General Assembly is taking last-minute steps to ensure public input in the state's voter redistricting process. Resolutions have passed unanimously in the House and Senate detailing a process for redrawing district lines in a public forum. A similar Senate Bill was heard in committee April 6, and is scheduled to hit the Senate floor Tuesday, April 12.

Following the 2010 U.S. Census, all local, state and federal electoral districts must be remapped to account for changes in population.

According to the latest census figures for Delaware, released March 2, over the past 10 years, the population in Sussex County has grown by 26 percent, or 40,500 people. The increase could mean Sussex County will have more representation in Dover in 2012.

Senate Bill 50

Senate Bill 50 was filed March 31, sent to the Senate Executive Committee, and following an April 6 hearing, was released to the Senate floor. According to SB 50, "This bill will ensure that every meeting involving the re-districting process will be open to the public."

After its committee hearing, executive committee members Sen. Gary Simpson, R-Milford, and Sen. Liane Sorenson, R-Hockessin, decided to join Senate Majority Leader Patricia

Blevins, D-Elsmere, and Senate Majority Whip Margaret Rose Henry, D-Wilmington East, in cosponsoring the bill. "We all pretty much thought it was a good idea," Simpson said.

Similarly, a Senate resolution passed unanimously March 23 -the day it was introduced. Senate Resolution 9 details a more specific process for open redistricting than SB 50. Sponsored by Sen. Michael Katz, D-Center-ville, SR 9 says, the redrawing of Senate districts must be discussed and explained in a public forum, and the public must be notified of the forum eight days in advance.

The resolution says die Senate must also provide information about how to purchase 2010 U.S. Census data and the computer program being used to reapportion the state, Maptitude.

"It's a policy we follow anyway," said Sen. Antiiony DeLuca, D-Varlano, of SR 9. DeLuca is chairman of die executive committee and primary sponsor of SB 50.

He said, if SB 50 passes, it will carry the force of law; SR 9 is not law and will expire at the end of the current General Assembly.

At die start of the current legislative sessioa Katz challenged DeLuca his longtime spot as Senate president pro tern and lost.

House Resolution 10

All districts are required to have about the same number of residents. The party that holds the majority in the House and Senate - the Democrats - will control how district lines are redrawn. All 41 members of the House, both Republican and Democrat, sponsored House Resolution 10, which passed April 5.

According to HR10, the public can submit plans, suggestions and requests for redistricting in writing, via email or snail mail, until Friday, April 29.

The House will then complete a draft redistricting proposal and schedule a public hearing during the General Assembly's two-week spring break, May 16-30. Officials will take public comments into account to revise die proposal.

According to Delaware code, the General Assembly has until June 30, to develop a plan to reapportion and redistrict the state in time for the 2012 general election.

The bill's primary sponsor, House Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf, D-Rehoboth Beach, will lead the redrawing process with House attorney William Bush and House Democratic Chief of Staff Erik Schramm.

"I definitely will look at everything that comes in," Schwartzkopf said.

When redrawing lines, Schwartzkopf said he plans to begin in and around Wilmington, seizing opportunities to make minority ethnic groups into district majorities, and move south. Majority-minority districts are created to prevent disenfranchising minority groups.

One district in northern New Castle County will have to be relocated to the Middletown area because the population has shifted, Schwartzkopf said, but he is hoping he will not have to displace two districts.

"I don't take shutting a district down very lightly," Schwartzkopf said. It is disruptive to the voting

process to take away a legislator thousands of people voted into office, he said.

Guidelines for drawing lines

When redrawing district lines, officials must adhere to guidelines that prevent gerrymandering or undue favor of the political party in power.

Lines are redrawn to even the population in each district. House districts must have an average of 21,900 residents. District populations may fall within 5 percent, or 1,100 people, of the average.

Five of the eight representative districts in Sussex County have more than 12 percent more people than die average district.

Senate districts must have 42,759 residents, give or take 5 percent. Three of the four senatorial districts in Sussex County are as much as 26 percent over-populated.

Compactness, congruity, ethnic majority, county and municipal lines and natural boundaries must also be considered during remapping. The original districts should be preserved as much as possible.

Suggestions for the House redistricting process can be sent to House.Redistricting@state.de.us or House of Representatives, Attn: Erik Schramm, 411 Legislative Ave., Dover, DE, 19901.





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