After a sometimes heated debate in Annapolis, the Maryland House of Delegates voted 96-38 to pass an amendment to the state’s constitution that provides an opening to redrawing Congressional districts in the state.
The bill is being considered in a three day special session. If approved in the Senate, the bill would be placed on the ballot in the Nov. 3 general election.
Proponents and opponents argued Monday during a special session to discuss the bill.
Sen. Steve Hershey, the state Senate’s minority leader, was blunt in his assessment of the Democrats supporting the bill.
“They鈥檙e looking for a way to cheat. They鈥檙e going to ask the voters if they鈥檒l vote in favor of a constitutional amendment so they can redraw the maps to eliminate the only Republican voice we have in the Congress,” Hershey said.
Hershey was referring to Rep. Andy Harris, who holds the House seat in the state鈥檚 1st District and is the lone Republican in Maryland’s congressional delegation.
Democrat Sen. Cheryl Kagan rejected Hershey鈥檚 description, saying, 鈥淚t was Donald Trump who started this whole Pandora鈥檚 Box of a slippery slope down to the bottom.鈥�
“Texas started, followed by other Republican states, so Democrats had to get in the battle,” Kagan said.
“Two wrongs don鈥檛 make a right, and we have been opposed to any type of mid-cycle redistricting whether it鈥檚 Republican states or Democrat states,鈥� Hershey said.
杏吧原创 staff and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The General Assembly began debating on Monday legislation that would give Democrats in the majority more latitude to redraw U.S. House district maps in their favor.
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