The Legislature will be tasked with drawing new district lines for federal and state elections in this session. Redistricting is an important part of the voting process. District lines play a role in determining the voting power of communities. The House Committee on Redistricting is traveling around the state listing to the opinions of the public.
A public session is scheduled for January 22 at Tarrant County College Southeast Campus in Arlington from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. This public session will give members of the community a chance to make their voices heard.
Redistricting will be based on the 2020 Federal Census required by the U.S. Constitution every 10 years. The data will be available to the Legislature in April of 2021, about halfway through the Legislative Session. There will not be much time to gather public input then, so the House Committee is getting an early start.
Redistricting is another reason that accurate census data is important. The next census will be in March 2020. Make sure to encourage everyone you know to participate.
Population projections look to the possibility of Texas opening up three congressional seats in the future. North Texas alone grows by 1 person every 4 minutes. By current estimates, the population of Tarrant County is expected to be 2.1 million.
For more information about the public session, CLICK HERE.