Maryland lawmakers approve redone congressional map
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The Democrat-controlled Maryland General Assembly approved a quickly redrawn congressional map on Wednesday, five days after a judge struck down the one lawmakers approved in December as unconstitutional for diluting the voice of Republican voters.
The initial plan, which was the first congressional map drawn by Democrats to be struck down this redistricting cycle, now goes to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. The governor has been a leading critic of the legislature's redistricting process and has a separate plan he has been advocating.
The House rejected an amendment proposed by Del. Neil Parrott, a Washington County Republican, that would have substituted the map supported by the governor.
The legislature has been scrambling to approve a new map for the state’s eight U.S. House districts after Judge Lynne Battaglia ordered a new one to be drawn by Wednesday. The judge has scheduled a hearing for Friday to consider a new plan.
The new map makes the districts more compact, but Republican lawmakers contend it’s still riddled with unfair partisan gerrymandering that would likely preserve the 7-1 advantage Democrats have over the GOP in the state's U.S. House delegation in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1.
“This map barely gives lip service to Judge Battaglia's ruling,” said Del. Kathy Szeliga, a Baltimore County Republican who was one of the lawmakers who filed a lawsuit against the initial map, adding that the redrawn version is "still an extreme gerrymander.”
Del. Eric Luedtke, the House majority leader, said the new map has significantly more compact districts and reduces the number of county crossings in districts.
“This map makes every effort to meet the judge's requirements in the order," Luedtke, a Montgomery County...