New Redistricting Proposal Affects Barnstable

Population drops across the Cape reported in the Census affected Barnstable's districts in a new proposal by the Massachusetts Legislature’s Committee on Redistricting presented yesterday, according to the congress.

State Senator Dan Wolf (D- Harwich) said yesterday in a press release that 92 percent of Massachusetts residents will maintain their current state Senate districts, with Barnstable being an exception with minor changes. 

According to the new plan, Senate President Therese Murray will no longer represent Barnstable and Dan Wolf will.

According to a Cape Cod Times report, Interim Town Manager Tom Lynch was not concerned with the changes saying they will probably not affect Barnstable's relationship with the Senate President.

That being said, the new proposal for State Representatives is a bit more drastic. It creates one giant district for Barnstable's First District Representative Cleon Turner. Part of Barnstable will be rolled into his lower Cape district.

In the Cape Cod Times report Lynch said this representative redistricting is a "tall order" for Turner to manage.

Residents can comment on the new district maps online.

“I am proud of the thorough and open process that has been redistricting in Massachusetts. The 13 hearings across the state gave the citizens of the Commonwealth a great opportunity to participate and voice their concerns and ideas,” said Wolf.

As a member of the Special Committee on Redistricting, Senator Wolf said that all the new districts are within plus or minus 5 percent of the ideal population for a State Senate district, which is 163,691. This deviation is consistent with the court-approved standards for legislative redistricting. 

In addition, the Senate proposal increases the number of minority-majority districts from two to three, adding one new state Senate district in Hampden County while keeping two minority-majority districts in Boston.