Rep. Garballey Announces Redistricting Hearing

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting will hold a public hearing on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 3:00 PM in the Gardner Auditorium at the State House in Boston.

The Committee will solicit testimony on the division of the Commonwealth into: (a) Congressional districts under the United States Constitution; (b) 40 senatorial and 8 councillor districts under Section 2 of Article CI of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended, and (c) 160 representative districts under section 1 of said Article CI.

Representative Garballey was appointed to the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting last spring. According to the 2010 US Census, Massachusetts lost population and will lose one seat in the House of Representatives. The ten current Congressional districts must be reconfigured into nine. After the United States census is released the state is mandated by the US Constitution to change its House, Senate, Governor’s Council and Congressional district boundaries in order to accommodate shifts in population and to provide equal representation to its citizens.

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting has been gathering testimony at several public hearings throughout the state. The Committee also has a website to provide redistricting information to the public, publicize the hearing and meeting schedule, and provide a means to contact the Committee to submit questions, comments, or materials.

“This is an extremely important committee and I very much appreciate being appointed to it and look forward to the work ahead. This process must be a transparent one that will allow every single citizen of the Commonwealth to testify publicly or electronically. This committee will work directly with its citizens as we work to redraw the district lines across the state,” said Garballey in a statement in April.

– InsideMedford.com