Proposed congressional redistricting plan impacts Washington County

3 years ago 338

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Legislature is successful a peculiar league this week discussing redistricting.

The existent projected redistricting program would bring a alteration to Washington County's Congressional district.

States redistrict each 10 years based connected results from the census. This time, the projected program would determination Bartlesville and Washington County retired of Congressional District 1 and into Congressional District two.

The determination would mean the country would person a caller Congressional representative. It’s presently Rep. Kevin Hern, but would alteration to Rep. Markwayne Mullin.

State Rep. Ryan Martinez (R-Edmond) seat of the House Redistricting Committee said the alteration is necessary.

Census information from 2020 shows the authorities grew 5.5 percent, oregon by astir 200,000 people, astir of them moving to the Oklahoma City and Tulsa areas. He said the extremity of redistricting is to equalize the colonisation wrong each district.

“It utilized to instrumentality Tulsa County and Washington County to conscionable that number," Rep. Martinez said. "Well, since Tulsa grew truthful much, that’s not necessary. All those radical are much condensed packed into an country and they volition beryllium gathering that fig and that threshold conscionable successful Tulsa County.”

However, State Rep. Wendi Stearman (R-Collinsville) represents Bartlesville and Washington County said this alteration based connected caller census information doesn’t needfully bespeak the existent colonisation successful that area.

“With debased census information that does marque it challenging," Rep. Stearman said. "And truthful arsenic acold arsenic being a just practice of radical surviving there, no.”

Stearman held a redistricting municipality hallway successful Bartlesville for her constituents. She said the main interest she heard was losing Rep. Hern.

“He has been precise good, precise progressive successful Washington County and I presume similar with the remainder of his district," Rep. Stearman said. "But helium truly did make bully relationships successful our county.”

However, Rep. Martinez said the alteration shouldn’t person excessively large of an interaction and nary substance who represents the country they’ll beryllium successful bully hands.

“I don’t deliberation with each intents and purposes overmuch changes different than who they’re calling and which bureau is helping them," Rep. Martinez said. "I would promote radical to get to cognize their caller Congressperson. And I guarantee you that Congressperson would beryllium precise funny successful gathering them.”

A information of Wagoner County would besides determination from CD1 to CD2.

The authorities legislature volition beryllium debating redistricting each week long. Rep. Martinez said they anticipation to person a last ballot and nonstop it to the politician by the extremity of the week.

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