Legislators Sound Out Congressional Delegation About Redistricting

The state lawmakers chosen to lead the effort to redraw congressional districts and eliminate one district based on the most recent Census have begun seeking input from the state's congressional delegation.

State Sen. Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, and his House counterpart, Rep. Michael Moran, D-Boston, traveled to western Massachusetts Friday to meet individually with Massachusetts Reps. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and John Olver, D-Amherst.

Rosenberg says the visits help remind him of the importance of the existing districts and how they're composed.

"I'm learning about new communities of interest that may have formed over the the last 10 or 15 years that should be considered as we move from 10 districts down to nine," Rosenberg said.

He plans to meet with the remainder of the delegation later this month.

"The members have the best information about the relationships of various communities to each other throughout the state, but particularly in their own regions," Rosenberg said.

Unless one member of Congress retires, or runs for a higher office, the committee may be forced to put two sitting representatives in the same district.

Rosenberg says after a series of hearings around the state, his committee will come up with new maps, and hope to have a final redistricting bill on the governor's desk by the end of the year.