Overview
- Democratic leaders moved the proposed constitutional amendment S.10637/A.11553 forward Wednesday, completing the first of three legislative steps needed to send the change to voters.
- The amendment would permit mid‑decade congressional redistricting, let the legislature approve maps with a simple majority, and limit the Independent Redistricting Commission to hearings and a single map submission.
- Text of the amendment changes map‑drawing rules by allowing partisan considerations, reducing compactness requirements, setting a January 15 commission deadline in the decade's second year, and removing the commission’s duty to draw court‑ordered remedial maps.
- Supporters say the move responds to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings and Republican mid‑decade remapping in other states, while opponents and watchdog groups call it a power grab that risks partisan gerrymandering and could dilute majority‑Black districts.
- The measure must pass the Legislature again in 2027 and be approved by voters in a statewide referendum before it can affect the 2028 congressional map, and observers expect a heated political campaign and likely litigation if it proceeds.