Statement from Fair Districts New Jersey Coalition Urging Apportionment Commission Publicly Release Their Maps

TRENTON, NJ ⸺ Today, the Fair Districts New Jersey coalition released the following statement urging the Apportionment Commission to publicly release their maps of proposed state legislative districts ahead of the Commission hearing on February 9th. 

“We strongly support Judge Carchman’s proposal that the Apportionment Commission publicly release maps of proposed state legislative districts, and we urge the Democratic and Republican delegations on the Apportionment Commission to adhere to the February 8th deadline proposed by Judge Carchman to release their maps.

The Fair Districts New Jersey coalition has long advocated for the Commission to release draft maps to the public, following the practice of the vast majority of states. This will allow for meaningful public participation and input ahead of the Commission hearing on February 9th. We also urge the Commission to schedule additional hearings and opportunities for public comment following the release of draft maps. 

New Jersey’s redistricting process has long lacked transparency and a clear motivation to reflect the increasingly diverse population of our state. Behind closed doors, Democratic and Republican appointees have etched out district lines that support their political interests and have failed to fully reflect community voices. A public release of maps is essential to ensure these maps reflect New Jersey’s diverse communities. New Jersey cannot commit to 10 years of inaccurate representation that divests political power from people of color in our state. 

The official vote to certify a Legislative map for New Jersey’s 40 legislative districts is quickly approaching and the Commission should not proceed without the public having a clear understanding of how Commissioners intend to modify state districts.”

Signatories:

League of Women Voters of New Jersey

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

Latino Action Network

New Jersey Working Families

Fair Share Housing Center

New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice

Faith in New Jersey

NJ 11th for Change

NJ Citizen Action

New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center

National Association of Social Workers – NJ Chapter