It’s the second week of the new year and 7 states are actively considering redistricting maps and poised to finalize a map or maps in the coming weeks. Here is a rundown.
Kansas began its legislative session on the 10th and will take up congressional and state legislative redistricting, but likely at a much slower pace than most of the other states on this list. According to the Topeka-Capital Journal, “Kansas is one of only three states where no proposed maps have been publicly released . . . the equipment used for redistricting only arrived in the Statehouse in the last week-and-a-half.” This may be a sign that the state’s leadership will fail to agree on maps, as they did in 2011. A court drew congressional and state legislative districts in 2012.
Tennessee and Maryland begin their legislative sessions on Jan 11th and 12th respectively, this week. Tennessee has several draft maps circulating and a House committee has approved at least one state legislative district map. There is also some concern about how the city of Nashville will fare in congressional redistricting. In Maryland, the legislature has already approved a congressional map in special session but state legislative districts must be finalized before the end of February. The General Assembly’s Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission on Jan 7th, recommended a legislative map for the full General Assembly to consider when it gavels in.
The New Hampshire General Court began its 2022 legislative session on Jan 5th and the House quickly adopted congressional and state legislative maps. The Mississippi House on Jan 6th, passed a congressional map featuring ” a sprawling majority-Black district, nearly the entire length of the state.” In Pennsylvania, the legislature is poised to vote on a congressional map as candidate filing deadlines loom. A proposed map is expected to be voted on this next week.
South Carolina enacted state legislative districts on Dec 10th and is now actively considering congressional maps without much consensus so far. In Vermont, the Legislative Apportionment Board proposed two very different state legislative maps to the legislature, which is looking to fast-track redistricting as candidate filing deadlines loom. A vote is expected next week.
