Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore launched the Governor’s Redistricting Advisory Commission even though state Democrats have backed away from the idea.
From Fox Baltimore:
Moore said the new commission will organize public hearings, collect community feedback, and make recommendations to the governor and the Maryland General Assembly aimed at ensuring fair and representative congressional maps.“My commitment has been clear from day one—we will explore every avenue possible to make sure Maryland has fair and representative maps,” said Gov. Moore. “This commission will ensure the people are heard. I thank those who have raised their hands to lead this process, and I am confident in their ability to gather the views and perspectives of a broad range of voices throughout the state.”The bipartisan commission, last convened under former Governor Martin O’Malley in 2011, will begin work this month.
Maryland Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks will chair the commission.
Democrats lead Republicans by 7 districts to 1 in Maryland.
Maryland Democratic Senate President Bill Ferguson already announced the General Assembly will not redraw the state’s map before the 2030 census.
“Despite deeply shared frustrations about the state of our country, mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined,” Ferguson told the lawmakers.
The redistricting effort in Texas has sent the Democrats off a cliff. California will vote on Prop 50 today to bypass the nonpartisan commission and allow the Democrat-led legislature to redraw the Congressional districts.
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