All 12 redistricting hearings scheduled
The Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee today announced it has scheduled all 12 of its public hearings on reshaping congressional and state legislative districts.
The first two hearings -- set last week -- will be in Western Maryland, one of the places that grew the most, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. (Entire schedule after the jump.)
On Aug. 12, the redistricting roadshow comes to Baltimore, with a hearing planned for 7 p.m. at the Morgan State University student center. The city suffered a significant population loss over the past decade and is likely to cede at least a few state lawmakers to growing areas, such as Frederick or Charles counties.
Fittingly, the very next hearing is Aug. 24 at the College of Southern Maryland in La Plata.
Following the public hearings, the five-member redistricting committee will complete a congressional redistricting map to submit to Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley for review. The Democrat-led General Assembly plans to meet for a special session Oct. 17 to vote on the map. The state legislative map vote will take place in the regular 2012 session, which begins in January.
• Saturday, July 23, 2 p.m., Hood College (Rosenstock Hall-Hodson Auditorium), 401 Rosemont Ave., Frederick
• Monday, July 25, 7 p.m., Prince George's Community College (Largo Student Center- Rennie Forum), 301 Largo Road, Largo, Prince George's County
• Wednesday, August 10, 7 p.m., The Universities at Shady Grove (Building #1 Auditorium), 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, Montgomery County
• Friday, August 12, 7 p.m., Morgan State University, Student Center (Calvin & Tina Tyler Ballroom #4), 1700 East Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore City
• Wednesday, August 24, 7 p.m., The College of Southern Maryland (Center for Business and Industry, Room BI-113), 8730 Mitchell Road, La Plata, Charles County
• Saturday, August 27, 11 a.m., Harford Community College (Amoss Center), 200 Thomas Run Road, Bel Air, Harford County
• Saturday, August 27, 2 p.m., Towson University (Stephens Hall Theater), 8000 York Road, Towson, Baltimore County
• Tuesday, August 30, 4 p.m., Anne Arundel County (Location to be announced)
• Tuesday, August 30, 7 p.m., Howard County (Location to be announced)
• Saturday, September 10, 12:30 p.m., Salisbury University, 1101 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, Wicomico County
• Saturday, September 10, 4 p.m., Chesapeake College (Todd Performing Arts Center), Routes 50 and 213, Wye Mills, Talbot County
Comments
Since Maryland apparently ends at Hancock, does that mean that us nobodies west of Sideling Hill can stop paying state taxes?
I note also that the PG, Montgomery, Baltimore City, and Charles County meetings get the commission's sole attention, while they will be squeezing in two meetings a day in "the rest of Maryland."
Posted by: Marc Nelson Jr. | July 18, 2011 8:04 PM
Will they listen to the People just like they did at the bridge toll hearings? Just another opportunity to waste your breath brought to by the Maryland Democratic Central Committee.....
Posted by: MDR | July 18, 2011 8:07 PM
Amazing that the only meeting scheduled in Baltimore County is on the TU campus, right in the middle of the move-on period right before classes start.
It should be fun trying to get to that meeting. Think they are trying to make things difficult?
Posted by: Gunpowder Chronicle | July 18, 2011 10:10 PM
Time to protest. We all know their secret. We want to see the map or we'll sue the state.
Posted by: Protest | July 19, 2011 1:42 AM
Maybe its good that Baltimore City is losing population and losing power to more conservative areas like southern Maryland and the Eastern Shore. This is why O'Malley wants to stop growth in rural areas since he is afraid it will tip the balance for the Republicans.
Posted by: Eric | July 19, 2011 7:37 AM
@Eric,
For "the balance" to be tipped to the Republicans, the MD GOP would have to actually put up some statewide candidates worth actually voting for. Bob Ehrlich? Puhlease. And I like EJ Pipkin in the General Assembly, but as a Senator? Wargotz? Andy Harris using the Congressional franking privilege to comment on the tolls?
And I say this as a conservative who is made sick by the absolute corruption of the O'Guvnah Administration. Until the MD GOP stops recruiting the gang who can't shoot straight, redistricting won't matter.
Posted by: Gunpowder Chronicle | July 19, 2011 12:33 PM
I would like to put committee member Mike Miller on report for his egregious comments to the Gazette newspaper in its August 12 article, “Eight take aim at congressional maps”. He said to a reporter that he paid attention to what people had to say, but the fact that eight people showed up to testify in the largest county in the state also indicates most people must be happy with the current boundaries.
Mike Miller’s reading of the situation is totally off target. This is political cynicism at its worst. An important consequence of political cynicism is citizen apathy. Apathy is high because when citizen issues are not naturally represented, citizens become discouraged and disengaged. This is precisely the case for Montgomery County citizens in District 4, a 55 mile long gerrymandered district that spans both Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, whose representative lives in Ft. Washington and does not know the people she represents not do they know her, and whose financial support comes predominantly from the District of Columbia. The apathy Mike Miller observed is a direct result of the extreme gerrymandering we are being subjected to.
Posted by: Don O'Neill | August 19, 2011 4:46 PM