BOSTON - Top Massachusetts lawmakers Tuesday unveiled new maps of legislative districts that create a new "majority-minority" district in Springfield, reflecting the city's growing Hispanic population and giving black and Hispanic voters a stronger political voice.
The proposed districts, released at a Statehouse press conference, create new political lines to account for population shifts over the past decade. Maps of the proposed districts, for both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate, were posted on the Internet only.
The map for the state House of Representatives also means that Berkshire County will lose one of the four House seats that are now based in the county. Berkshire County lost population over the past 10 years. To deal with population losses in Berkshire, the district of a Berkshire House member will be moved farther east and will gain Greenfield, which will be moved out of its current district.
"Redistricting is a process that involves balancing local and regional interests, coupled with a few guiding principles,"said Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat and Senate chairman of the Joint Committee on Redistricting. "This map adheres to those principles while addressing the eastward shift of the state's population."
Stanley RosenbergBefore the new districts become law, the state Senate, the House and Gov. Deval L. Patrick would need to approve them. The Joint Committee on Redistricting will take comments from the public for the next week before the committee votes on a bill that would contain the reshaped districts. The districts will go into effect for the election of November, 2012.
The redistricting committee is expected to release new districts for the US House of Representatives early next month. Because Massachusetts grew more slowly than states in other parts of the nation during the past decade, it will relinquish one of its 10 congressional seats.
The state Senate map calls for three districts where most voters are minorities, up from two, and 20 districts in the state House of Representatives, up from 10.
Census data has shown a growth in the state's minority population, prompting activists to urge the creation of new legislative districts where minorities constitute a majority of residents.
James WelchStatewide, the state's black population rose 26 percent in the last decade, while both the Latino and the Asian-American populations in the state rose 46 percent according to the census.
Springfield saw the number of Hispanics grow by 43 percent since 2000 and Hispanics now are 39 percent of the city's 153,060 population. The population of blacks in Springfield increased slightly to 22 percent of the city's total.
In Springfield, Rep. Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, D-Springfield, will keep her district with a majority of Hispanic voters and Rep. Benjamin Swan, D-Springfield, will maintain his district with a majority of black and Hispanic voters, said Rep. Michael Moran, D-Boston, the House chair of the Redistricting Committee.
Under the proposed new House map, Rep. Brian M. Ashe, D-Longmeadow, lost two precincts in Forest Park, which were crucial to his re-election last year and gained a precinct in East Longmeadow, giving him 75 percent of East Longmeadow, an increase over the current 50 percent. Ashe, who grew up in Forest Park, said his new district would be more Republican-oriented.
Ashe said officials in East Longmeadow officials redrew precinct lines without communicating with him.
"It was because they did their precinct lines over without any input or communication from me or others that my district was impacted so greatly," Ashe said. "My only issue was with East Longmeadow leadership for not communicating better with everyone and anyone that this might impact. They drastically redrew their line for no apparent reason that I can see except for maybe making sure that this seat does not have Springfield in it."
Under the new proposal, Springfield would be split among six House members, down from the current seven. Springfield will still have two state senators, but the boundaries were revised.
Lines were significantly redrawn in the district of Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield, to create the new Senate "majority-minority" district, which will have 37 percent Hispanic voters and 18 percent black voters. Welch's Hampden District also lost the town of Agawam, which was shifted to Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield.
Welch's district moves farther into Springfield, adding parts of Springfield now in the district of Sen. Gale D. Candaras including sections of Hungry Hill, East Springfield, Liberty Heights, East Forest Park and Pine Point, according to Candaras and Welch. Welch's district also will retain the North End and the South End of Springfield.
“The opportunity to represent a district that reflects the diversity of Western Massachusetts is something that is a tremendous opportunity," Welch said. "Every day is a learning experience in this position, and I look forward to continuing my service to the people of the Hampden District."
Candaras said she believed the change was unavoidable, saying the proposed changes reflect the increase in the minority population in Springfield. She said she is sorry to lose about half the people she currently represents in Springfield. If the proposed Senate map is approved, Candaras said she still will represent about 25 percent of Springfield. "I've worked very hard in Springfield and will continue to do so," she said.
Candaras's district will gain most of the eastern part of Chicopee.
In Berkshire County, the district of freshman Rep. Paul W. Mark, D-Hancock, would lose 12 communities, but gain six new ones including Greenfield, which will be moved out of the district of freshman Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange.
"It's a great town," Mark said of Greenfield. "I spend a lot of time there."
Mark's district would lose his current home town of Hancock. To run for re-election, Mark said he plans to move to Peru, which would stay in his district. Mark has 22 communities in his district now. If the proposed House map is approved, he would have 16.
The proposal to shift Ashe's district out of Springfield was the most significant change to House seats in the city.
Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, D-Springfield, said he was pleased with the process of redistricting and he commended Moran for his work. Puppolo would lose one precinct in East Longmeadow, leaving him with about 25 percent of the town instead of the existing 50 percent.
Here are some key changes proposed for House and Senate districts:
• Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, loses Orange, Warwick and Royalston and gains Ashby and Paxton.
• Sen. Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, loses half of Belchertown, Buckland and Shelburne and picks up Orange, Warwick and Royalston.
• Sen. Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfield, gains Buckland, Shelburne, Chester and Blandford.
• Sen. Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield, gains Agawam and one new precinct in Chicopee. Knapik loses Chester, Blandford and eight precincts in Chicopee.
• Sen. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield, gains 18 new precincts in Springfield. Welch loses Agawam, three precincts in Springfield and two precincts in Chicopee.
• Sen. Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham, loses 18 precincts in Springfield. She gains half of Belchertown and now will have all of Belchertown, three new precincts in Springfield and nine precincts in Chicopee.
• Rep. Paul W. Mark, D-Hancock -- the 2nd Berkshire District -- loses Cheshire, Hancock, Lanesboro, New Ashford, Ashfield, Buckland, Shelburne, Cummington, Middlefield, Richmond, Beckett and Washington and gains Greenfield, Rowe, Monroe, Heath, Charlemont and Hawley.
• Rep. Brian M. Ashe, D-Longmeadow, lost two precincts in Springfield in the Forest Park area and gained one precinct in East Longmeadow.
• Rep. Stephen Kulik, D-Worthington, lost the northern half of Belchertown, Pelham, Wendell and New Salem and added Shelburne, Buckland, Ashfield, Cummington, Middlefield and Chester.
• Rep. Ellen Story, D-Amherst, lost the southern half of Granby, keeps the northern half of Granby and picks up Pelham.
• Rep. John W. Scibak, D-South Hadley, gained the southern half of Granby.
• Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange, loses Greenfield and gains New Salem, Wendell, Royalston, Templeton, Phillipston, Petersham and part of Belchertown.
Source: Members of the Joint Committee on Redistricting