State lawmakers host redistricting town hall meeting

Published: Aug. 19, 2021 at 10:34 PM EDT
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SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Who represents you, your family and your neighborhood all depends on redistricting. It happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census data comes out.

State lawmakers held a town hall meeting to explain how it impacts all of us. They say the new redistricting maps will not be released until September, but they want your feedback now because redistricting determines who represents you on the congressional, state and local level.

Members of Georgia’s Legislative Black Caucus and Fair Count are traveling around the state holding redistricting town hall meetings.

Thursday night, they made a stop in Savannah.

”The redistricting process affects each one of us because it is truly who is going to be your representative,” said Representative Derek Mallow. “Not only from the state house to state senate to congress but also your county commissioner. It is going to be your alderperson. It is going to be your school board member.”

Representative Mallow says Savannah was not one of the original planned locations for the redistricting hearings. He says it was important for him and other local lawmakers to put on this town hall so citizens can get involved in the process.

Representative Carl Gilliard sits on the redistricting committee. He hopes they are able to have fair representation throughout the state and Chatham County.

“People need to feel that they were represented in the way that these maps were drawn, there is no gerrymandering and it is not about the party,” said Representative Gilliard. “It truly is about the demographics and the layout and the make of that city and that’s what we have got to do.”

Representative Gilliard plans on holding a town hall meeting for Chatham County.

He says he wants the input of more people around our area.

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