MORGANTOWN – More than 20 people stood to share their thoughts with the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Redistricting during its public hearing Thursday evening at Mylan Park.
This was the sixth of 12 public hearings scheduled around the state and committee co-chair Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, said this was the best turnout so far. One speaker, South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper, said he was the only person to address the committee at a prior hearing.
Trump said it was a “red letter day.” They hadn’t been expecting to receive the U.S. census data they’ll use to draw the three maps – state House and Senate and Congress – until Sept. 30, but it arrived Thursday, and they will be able to start work.
Ken Martis was one of several speakers to advocate for a bipartisan, independent commission to draw the district maps. “It is time for the voters of West Virginia to choose their elected representatives rather than the elected representatives choose their voters.”
Other speakers agreed with him but some also acknowledged that it’s too late for that this time – a future legislature would have to pass a bill to put a commission in place for the 2030 census and 2031 redistricting.
A number of speakers also advocated for the House of Delegates to have 100 single-member districts instead of the current 67 districts with some having two or more members.
Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, is not a committee member but took the mic near the end of the meeting to point out that 100 single-member districts is already going to happen [the bill to do that passed in 2018]. “The question is not whether we’re going to 100 districts but how to draw them fairly.”
Sarah Barnes, president of the Morgantown/Monongalia County League of Women Voters, was among those who said that state and federal law require that districts be compact, respect county lines and reflect community interests.
Jay Taylor, from the 49th District, echoed that. “Keep the counties whole as much as you can.” The 49th covers most of Taylor County, but includes a precinct each from Mon and Marion, while a little bit of Taylor is joined with Harrison in the 48th.
Several speakers noted that four of the five Mon County delegates in the five-member 51st District come from Morgantown, but the interests of Blacksville aren’t necessarily the interests of Morgantown.
Closer to Morgantown, Justin White of Westover said, “Many times we feel overshadowed on the other side of the river.”
Taylor and Hansen said Mon County could easily accommodate six single-member districts.
Delegate Barbara Evans Fleischauer, D-Monongalia, also is not a committee member but took the mic to describe how the state Constitution calls for House, Senate and Congressional districts to respect county lines. The 13th Senate District – spanning the I-68 corridor in Mon and Marion – doesn’t do that, she said. Mon is carved among three districts: the 2nd, 13th and 14th.
“We really need to go back to that, and do it the right way,” she said.
With COVID re-surging and many people not able or willing to go to big group meetings, one speaker urged the committee to hold some virtual hearings in addition to the 12 in-person sessions planned. Trump said that is in the works.
The full Redistricting Committee has 33 members: 24 delegates and nine senators. Only eight members attended. Trump said they are creating a video archive for posting on the committee’s web page – wvlegislature.gov/redistricting.cfm – for members and the public to view.
Four local members attended: Sens. Mike Caputo, D-Marion, and Dave Sypolt, R-Preston, and Delegates Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, and John Williams, D-Monongalia.
A date for a special session to pass bills with the redrawn district maps has not yet been set by the governor.
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