Making Democracy Work in SC: House Redistricting Hearing on January 10

House Announcement: 

Thank you for your continued interest in Redistricting.  The House Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee will meet Monday, January 10 at 1:00 pm in Room 516 of the Blatt Building and virtually at www.scstatehouse.gov.  The Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee will consider additional public input received by Sunday, January 9 at noon. If you wish to provide written testimony or other information for the Ad Hoc Committee and for inclusion in the public record, please email your submission to Redistricting [at] schouse.gov  by noon on Sunday, January 9.  Items may also be mailed to the mailing address at the bottom of this email. 

Additionally, the Full House Judiciary Committee will meet Monday, January 10, 2022 at 3:00 pm to consider the report of the Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee. The meeting will be in Blatt Room 516 and virtually at www.scstatehouse.gov.  Please refer to the House Redistricting Website for additional information at https://redistricting.schouse.gov.  Thank you!

Testimony will be accepted on H 4492 (Congressional maps, Lucas) and S. 865 (Redistricting, Rankin). No new House map has been announced, so the two existing House maps, possibly with amendments, are under consideration. While the first House staff map is preferable to House Alternative 1, neither respects major regional communities of interest. Alternative 1 responds to the argument that Beaufort belongs in CD 1 as the “coastal, Lowcountry district” while apparently rejecting the argument (also made many times in public testimony) that North Charleston and in fact the northern portion of the City of Charleston, with their port facilities, belong with the lower Charleston peninsula, as do other Charleston satellite municipalities and suburbs. 

Note that the last opportunity for public input is by noon on Sunday, January 9. Submissions should be by email since there is insufficient time for USPS delivery.