Democratic state lawmakers on Monday continued to move forward with a proposal aiming to overhaul the way New Jersey redraws its legislative districts despite an ongoing outcry from Republicans
TRENTON -- Democratic state lawmakers on Monday continued to move forward with a proposal aiming to overhaul the way New Jersey redraws its legislative districts despite an ongoing outcry from Republicans.
The state redraws the districts every decade and won't do so again until 2021. But this resolution -- if passed by both houses of the state Legislature -- would put a question on next November's ballot asking voters whether to amend the New Jersey constitution to approve a number of changes to the process.
Republicans argue the plan could allow Democrats to tighten their control of the Legislature, holding onto it for decades.
They also contend that while the next redistricting is still five years away, Democrats are rushing to approve the resolution -- introduced just last week -- before the Legislature's current session ends Jan. 11. That way, they say, the question is assured to be on the ballot in 2016, when more voters will head to the polls because it's a presidential election.
Republican lawmakers charge Democrats are seeking to tighten their grip on N.J.
"This is a tremendous abuse of your authority, our authority, your majority to put this kind of dramatic measure through the process in these winding days of the Legislature, the lame-duck session, before the holiday season," state Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R-Monmouth) said Monday during a meeting of the Senate's judiciary committee -- the first public hearing held on the matter.
State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Essex) said Democrat are showing "amazing indifference" to something that could "change the landscape forever."
"This is not our finest moment," O'Toole said. "This is a terrible moment for democracy. We are all better than this."
The largest change the amendment would make is requiring that at least 10 of New Jersey's districts be "competitive" and that the remaining 30 districts favoring one party be divided evenly.
A district would be considered "competitive" based on how each political party performed in the previous decade in elections for president, U.S. Senate, and governor.
Right now, that would benefit Democrats, since the party has 700,000 more registered voters than Republicans do. But sponsors of the bill say there is no way to know if the state's complexion will remain that way.
State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) also noted that they are trying to pass the resolution soon because if it stretches into the next legislative session -- after Jan. 11 -- it would then need a three-fifths majority of the Legislature to get on the ballot. Smith said that's unlikely.
"The longest journey begins with a first step," he said.
Smith added that it's important to put the resolution before voters in a presidential election year because that way you assure more people will get a chance to have a say.
Democrats made a minor change to the measure Monday. While the original resolution increased the number of members on the redistricting commission from 11 to 13, the new measure keeps it at 11.
The state Democratic and Republican chairs would each appoint three members, and each of the four legislative leaders -- two from each party -- would appoint one. The state Supreme Court would appoint an 11th member that would break any tie.
The Senate judiciary committee voted 8-5 along party lines Monday to approve the amended plan.
The Assembly judiciary committee voted 4-0. The panel's two Republicans -- Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi and Assemblyman Michael Patrick Carroll -- did not vote because they left before the meeting, which began three hours after its scheduled start time.
One Democrat not on the committee -- state Sen. Ron Rice (D-Essex) -- testified at the hearing that he opposed the plan because no state lawmakers would serve on the redistricting commission.
"Legislators should be a part of this," Rice said. "Don't tell me to rely on the chairman of the party, who is political."
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.