Redistricting Process Starts On Beacon Hill

On Beacon Hill Wednesday state lawmakers officially begin the process of congressional and legislative redistricting — a process that's especially challenging this year, since Massachusetts is losing one of its 10 congressional districts.

Members of the House and Senate committee who must redraw district maps will hold their first meeting Wednesday afternoon. Senate Chairman Stan Rosenberg says they will announce a series of public hearings to be held all around the state, as well as introduce a website aimed at giving the public a way to interact with the committee.

"It's time to begin the public phase of gathering information and analyzing the data when it comes in from the Census Bureau," the Amherst Democrat said.

That census data, giving a street-by-street breakdown of where people live, will be released by April 1. Rosenberg says they'll begin redrawing maps in June or July.