COLUMBIA, SC — South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Trav Robertson, Jr. issued the following statement on the House Redistricting Committee’s decision to add an additional meeting with virtual testimony
“Last week I called on House Redistricting Committee Chairman, Jay Jordan to allow virtual testimony at all public hearings and livestream these meetings. While I am glad to see committee members are listening and agreed to schedule an additional hearing with virtual testimony, this should be the standard for every redistricting meeting, not the exception. Maps drawn by this committee will last ten years. This process is significant and it warrants more than eight hours of virtual testimony for the entire state.
“In the middle of a global pandemic which took the lives of 110 South Carolinians today alone, there is no excuse for Judiciary Chairman, Chris Murphy and House Redistricting Ad Hoc Committee Chairman Jay Jordan to not make redistricting committee meetings more accessible. In addition to scheduling 9 in-person only hearings during a COVID-19 spike, several of the meetings were scheduled on Jewish Holidays including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It is outrageous that no one at the House Redistricting Committee could look at a calendar before setting these meeting dates.
“The truth is, Chris Murphy, Jay Jordan and South Carolina Republicans are trying to draw new district lines in secret to protect incumbents and their Republican majority without input from their constituents. Maybe they are afraid of what would happen if they had to run in a competitive district, not one drawn to ensure an easy path to reelection.”
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