Are you tired of being gerrymandered?
by Jeaneane McNulty, WB Resident
Are you tired of being gerrymandered? Did you know Wells Branch’s US Congressional District #17 stretches north past Waco, east into Leon County, and includes just a tiny sliver of the counties that Wells Branch actually belongs to? Now is your chance to be heard by the TX Senate Redistricting Committee, who will redraw our US Congressional District, as well as state districts this year! With the loss of federal redistricting oversight in 2013 (“pre-clearance”), public input is vitally important to ensuring an open process that results in fair boundaries that are non-partisan and non-discriminatory. The last three regional virtual hearings (via Zoom), including the one for the Austin area have been postponed due to the winter weather crisis. Keep checking the links below or follow Wells Branch Dems, WBNA and/or Wells Branch Melting Pot on Facebook for new dates as they are known. You may speak at any hearing. Testimony is limited to 2 minutes. You may also submit written testimony if you prefer – or do both!
Redistricting Testimony Resources:
• Submit written testimony: senate.texas.gov/redistrictingcomment
• Redistricting Committee website: https://senate.texas.gov/cmte.php?c=625
Scroll down the Committee website above to access the ‘2021 Regional Hearings” link and sign up to testify via Zoom.
• Non-partisan testimony guides: fairmapstexas.org/testimony-guides, mapsbythepeople.org/create-a-testimony/
• Non-partisan virtual testimony training: https://bit.ly/3bl2GVp