News Clips

Redistricting traditionally has been conducted out of the public eye, brokered by Democratic and Republican legislative caucus leaders sensitive to the wants and needs of incumbents — namely, district maps that will enhance chances for re-election, not invite competition.

The Connecticut Reapportionment Committee will conduct a hearing in Hartford at the Legislative Office Building 7 p.m., Sept. 8. A second hearing will be held at the town hall in Norwich 1 p.m., Sept. 9. The third event will take place at the city hall in Shelton at 1 p.m. on Sept. 13. Meanwhile, the committee scheduled a virtual hearing for 7 p.m., Sept. 14.

“'The important thing is making sure the process is transparent so people understand why the lines are moving,' said Cheri Quickmire, executive director of Common Cause in Connecticut, the election watchdog group..."

Waterbury will receive the largest boost in representation under a newly-adopted law counting prison inmates as members of voting districts where they lived prior to incarceration. The town of Enfield will see the largest decline under the change.

“Representation is very important. We know that gerrymandering had taken place for years in this country,” Sen. Doug McCrory, D-Hartford, said. “When we do look at data, when we do look at drawing lines that has to be taken into consideration,“ McCrory says.

"'We need processes that prioritize, I guess, hearing from diverse populations in a way that we haven’t done before, and so we need to really think about how we can make that happen,' she said. 'This needs to be a priority because if people’s voices aren’t heard, then it’s not going to make the mapmaking process as inclusive as it needs to be.'"