Controversy Swirls Around Md. Legislative Redistricting Votes

The Maryland House of Delegates has approved new maps for legislative districts that were produced by the General Assembly’s Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission.

Republican lawmakers made a final attempt Thursday to get support for maps produced by the Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission, a panel that was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan in early 2021.

Fair Maps Maryland, a group with connections to the governor, is promising legal action.

“The violation of the one person one vote concept is the most troubling aspect of that which is before us now,” House Minority Whip Haven Shoemaker, R-Carroll County said. “Why does Maryland insist upon adhering to this anachronistic patchwork hodgepodge of one, two, and three delegate districts? It makes no sense. It completely stands on its head the principle of one person, one vote.”

“You have to give the leadership of the Maryland General Assembly a lot of credit, they have been fully committed to voter suppression every step of the way. From maps created in secret and politicians drawing their own districts, to holding sham public meetings and forcing party line votes, to blatantly refusing to comply with Public Information Act requests, they have done everything in their power to uphold the status quo and continue rigging our voting system in their favor. After months of eschewing transparency at every turn, the only surprising thing about this vote is that they conducted it in public and not in the member lounge,” Fair Maps Maryland Spokesman Doug Mayer said. “As we have said from the start, gerrymandering is voter suppression. Not only is it wrong, it’s illegal, and the Maryland legislature is guilty of it. Fair Maps Maryland was created to fight for free and fair elections and today’s vote doesn’t change that. At this very moment, we have attorneys and election experts working on a lawsuit that will be filed in the Maryland Court of Appeals in the near future.”

Maps for Maryland congressional districts that were approved during a special legislative session last month are also being challenged.