Indiana House Committee Makes Small Changes To Redistricting Maps

A panel of lawmakers made minor changes to state House and Congressional redistricting maps Monday.

The House Elections Committee then voted to send the maps to the full House.

Committee Chair Rep. Tim Wesco (R-Osceola) said the changes were based in part on feedback from Hoosiers in last week’s public hearings. For instance, he said one change was because of concerns that an apartment complex in Fort Wayne was divided between two state House districts.

“To ensure that that entire apartment complex was in a single district as well as seeking to have two districts entirely within the city limits of Fort Wayne,” Wesco said.

READ MORE: House Republican Leaders Defend Proposed Redistricting Maps

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The committee’s changes also ensured that the nine congressional districts are almost exactly the same population.

Democrats didn’t object to the changes. But members did raise familiar complaints – the new maps, said Rep. Matt Pierce (D-Bloomington), preserve an unfair status quo.

“Kind of packing and cracking the Democratic constituencies to water down the influence of that vote,” he said.

The full House will vote on the redistricting maps later this week.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.