Key Takeaways From Tuscaloosa County's Redistricting Hearing

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Tuscaloosa saw substantial growth over the last decade, and now that lawmakers are focusing on redrawing district lines, residents were given the opportunity Tuesday to provide input on the process.

The hearing was attended by a little more than two dozen people in person at Shelton State Community College, with several attendees voicing their concerns remotely via video conference.

Redistricting Fast Facts

• Tuscaloosa County added 32,380 residents since the last census, marking an increase of 16.63%, which is an eye-popping contrast to population declines in every other surrounding county other than Jefferson.
• Greene County saw a 14% decline in its population, far and away the highest percentage among counties in the Tuscaloosa Patch coverage area. Officials point out that this underscores a statewide trend of citizens moving from rural settings to more developed urban areas.
• Tuscaloosa County is split between the Fourth Congressional District (north of the Black Warrior River) and the Seventh Congressional District.
• Alabama's Fourth Congressional District saw a population increase of 20,163 residents, while the Seventh Congressional District saw a decline of 18,209 — representing the only congressional district in Alabama to see its population drop. The 2020 ideal population for each congressional district following the 2020 Census is 717,754.
• To reach the target population, three congressional districts — 2, 4 and 7 — will likely see decreases in their populations once district lines are redrawn.

Other takeaways from Tuesday's hearing

State Rep. Chris England, a Democrat from Tuscaloosa who also chairs the Alabama Democratic Party and serves on Alabama's Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment, pointed out: "Everything that is said at these hearings, all public comments, everything you bring forth, will be part of the actual official record. When the committees and legislature meet, all of this will play a role in their discussions."

The ideal population for each Alabama House district came out to 47,850, while the ideal population for State Senate district following the 2020 Census is 143,551.

A consistent concern could be seen in the actual layout of the Fourth Congressional District, which spans the width of the state from its borders with Georgia and Mississippi. This district covers the northern half of Tuscaloosa County, which has led some, including the League of Women Voters of Greater Tuscaloosa, to advocate for changes to district lines to allow all of Tuscaloosa County to be included in one district.

The League of Women Voters of Greater Tuscaloosa was the most vocal organization present, as the non-partisan voting rights advocacy group stressed that the Fourth Congressional District does not allow for equal representation due to gerrymandering. The organization claims its recommendations to the Legislature would promote two-party representation, in addition to creating two "opportunity zones" to boost minority representation.

House District 63 saw the most growth, adding 7,900 residents, of all of Tuscaloosa's Alabama House of Representatives districts since the last Census. In terms of Senate districts, Senate District 21, which includes the cities of Northport and Tuscaloosa, saw an increase of 12,600 residents over the last decade.

The State Board of Education's ideal population comes out to 628,035 for each of its eight districts following the 2020 Census.

State Sen. Gerald Allen, a Republican from Tuscaloosa, serves along with England on Alabama's Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment.

State Rep. Bill Poole, now the state's finance director, left the Committee in July upon his exit from the Legislature.

Carol Prickett, spokesperson for the League of Women Voters of Greater Tuscaloosa: "Our plan keeps the county as the entity. In the original 1901 Constitution, the county is the most important unit in the state, and that’s where the federal money comes in. But in our county, we are split with north and south. Our county, and in fact, our city, does not have a way to have one person speak for us and our needs in West Alabama. Those needs are now split among so many other areas, which basically keeps us out of play as far as having a say in state funding."

The next public hearing in west Alabama will be held in Demopolis on Wednesday.

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