Md. House okays congressional redistricting plan

ANNAPOLIS, Md. —      The Maryland House of Delegates approved Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley's congressional redistricting map 91-46 on Wednesday, the third day of a special session to redraw the districts of the state's eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The map, which Republicans decried as gerrymandering to oust a GOP congressman, is identical to a bill already passed by the Senate, except for some minor typographical errors. The Senate will have to approve those small technical changes before the bill goes to the Democratic governor for his signature.

Democrats said the map reflects population growth in the suburbs of the nation's capital and up the Interstate 270 corridor northwest of Washington. Delegate Adrienne Jones, D-Baltimore County, said 70 percent of the state's residents will reside in the same districts as under the current map.

     "It was done very carefully, not willy-nilly," Jones said. "It was done within the letter of the law, within the Voting Rights Act. It was done in consultation with the state attorney general who is the lawyer for the state."

     But Republicans said the map is designed to oust 10-term Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett in western Maryland. Republicans also said Democrats have put off creating a third majority-minority district to account for growth in the state's minority population in order to try and win another Democratic seat in Congress.

Currently, Maryland Democrats hold a 6-2 advantage over Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"The truth is this is one gerrymandered map — specifically for political purposes — and everybody here is being asked to go ahead and hide the truth, go home and tell people it was for their own good and 10 years from now you'll get what your constitution promises you," said Delegate Michael Smigiel, R-Cecil.

Jones, who chaired the House committee on redistricting, underscored that 12 hearings were held around the state to gather public input, and she said the map reflects that input.

"Furthermore, there's an assumption that because you're a minority — African-American, Asian, Hispanic — that you're going to vote the same way. I can show you proven cases that that is not the case," Jones said.

Five Democrats voted against the map.