Senate Democrats Reject Partisan Redistricting
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 568-9357
CONCORD – Today, in a party line vote of 3-2, Republican members of the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee voted Ought to Pass on SB 240, the Republican drawn Senate District map which further gerrymanders the state. The bill next goes before the full Senate for a vote.
After the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) and Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) issued the following statements:
Senate Democratic Leader Donna Soucy (D-Manchester) stated, “Senate Districts should reflect communities of interest, such as shared school districts or shared public services. SB 240 fails to keep these communities together and further divides the state among partisan lines. During the public hearing on SB 240, only 11 people registered their support of the map compared to the 609 Granite Staters who registered in opposition. It is abundantly clear that there is no public support for this gerrymandered map. I am extremely disappointed that instead of listening to their constituents and creating a fair and balanced map, my Republican colleagues have instead chosen to use this opportunity to grab at more political power.”
Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) added, “Last year, we traveled around the state in order to ensure that the public was given ample opportunity to voice their opinions on the redistricting process. Repeatedly, we heard the call for fair and transparent maps that left partisan politics at the door. The maps passed today by Senate Republicans tell us that the public input sessions on the redistricting process were just for performance. Instead of responding to the public’s input, Republicans produced maps that reflected their desired outcome and not the will of the voters.”
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