Joyce Krawiec serves in the North Carolina Senate. She represents Davie County and Forsyth County, NC. Christian, wife, mother, small business owner, and conservative.
As a member of the Redistricting committee, I will be participating in a Public Hearing for citizens to be heard regarding this process. The meeting will be held September 14 at 4 PM at Forsyth Tech at 1615 Miller St. In Winston Salem. I hope that all of you who are interested will be in attendance.
These public hearings will be taking place across the state. I hope many citizens will choose to participate and attend the hearings and provide input to the committee.
After the census, every ten years, new districts must be redrawn for Congress as well as our state House and Senate. As populations shift and demographics change, districts must be realigned.
There will be gnashing of teeth and accusations of partisan gerrymandering no matter what the maps look like. That appears to be the nature of the process, but I believe the final product will be fair maps.
The current maps are fairer and more compact than they have ever been. When they were redrawn for 2020 elections, Democrats acknowledged that the process was the most open and transparent in recent history. I believe the current process will be as well.
There have been a number of lawsuits and the Courts have weighed in which required redrawing maps. Maps that are supposed to remain for ten years, have been redrawn numerous times.
Just to put this in perspective, I have had the honor of serving in the Senate for 4 terms.
During this time, I have had 4 different districts. That does not serve the citizens well. It creates confusion and constituents don’t have an opportunity to get to know their representatives.
I’m sure you have heard the push for computer drawn districts or for a non partisan committee. First of all, there is no such thing as non partisan so that argument falls flat. Secondly, we have a Constitution that clearly states that the districts will be drawn by the Legislature.
North Carolina has had some strange looking districts in the past. I challenge you to google Roy Cooper Senate District and observe the tentacles of his district when he served in the Senate. It resembles an outstretched hand with fingers in all directions.
The Redistricting Committee has laid out guidelines for the map drawing process. I have listed them below for your review. For brevity, I have removed the legal references, from court decisions, and listed the criteria. This should lead to fair and acceptable districts.
Below is the proposed 2021 redistricting criteria:
• Equal Population. The Committees will use the 2020 federal decennial census data as the sole basis of population for the establishment of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans. The number of persons in each legislative district shall be within plus or minus 5 percent of the ideal district population, as determined under the most recent federal decennial census. The number of persons in each congressional district shall be as nearly as equal as practicable, as determined under the most recent federal decennial census.
• Contiguity. Legislative and congressional districts shall be comprised of contiguous territory. Contiguity by water is sufficient.
• Counties, Groupings and Traversals. The Committees shall draw legislative districts within county groupings as required by Stephenson v. Bartlett….Within county groupings, county lines shall not be traversed except as authorized by Stephenson I, Stephenson II, Dickson I, and Dickson II.
• Division of counties in the 2021 Congressional plan shall only be made for reasons of equalizing population and consideration of double bunking. If a county is of sufficient population size to contain an entire congressional district within the county’s boundaries, the Committees shall construct a district entirely within that county.
• Racial Data. Data identifying the race of individuals or voters shall not be used in the construction or consideration of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
• VTDs. Voting districts (“VTDs”) should be split only when necessary.
• Compactness. The Committees shall make reasonable efforts to draw legislative districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans that are compact.
• Municipal Boundaries. The Committees may consider municipal boundaries when drawing districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
• Election Data. Partisan considerations and election results data shall not be used in the drawing of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
• Member Residence. Member residence may be considered in the formation of legislative and congressional districts.
• Community Consideration. So long as a plan complies with the foregoing criteria, local knowledge of the character of communities and connections between communities may be considered in the formation of legislative and congressional districts.
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Joyce Krawiec serves in the North Carolina Senate. She represents Davie County and Forsyth County, NC. Christian, wife, mother, small business owner, and conservative.