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Sen. Rebecca Perkins Quoca proposes statutory redistricting criteria to formalize public comment and map timing
Summary
Sen. Rebecca Perkins Quoca told the committee SB 587 would set statutory rules for when draft maps are published and how public comments are collected, arguing that better timing and transparency would produce fairer maps; senators debated whether maps should be shown before or after testimony.
Sen. Rebecca Perkins Quoca, prime sponsor of SB 587, told the Senate Election Law and Municipal Affairs Committee she is offering the bill to create clearer statutory guidance for redistricting public participation, timing and the posting of draft maps. "One person, one vote," Perkins Quoca said when asked what the most important criterion is for redistricting, emphasizing that population equality guides mapmaking.
Perkins Quoca said the bill was drafted after reviewing other states' practices and aims to improve transparency so public feedback is more meaningful. She said that timing—when maps are presented relative to public hearings—and the mechanism for receiving and posting comments were consistent concerns during prior redistricting cycles.
Committee members debated the practical challenge of showing maps before testimony versus collecting testimony first and then presenting proposed maps. The chair noted the difficulty of iterating maps and returning to communities for additional hearings: "I don't know how you present a map to somebody... and then once you've taken their testimony... you're gonna do 10 meetings across the state," one senator said, describing the workload and timeline trade-offs.
Members also discussed deviation standards for population equality; a committee member asked whether a plus-or-minus 5 percent standard applied. The chair clarified a common judicial interpretation was that a 10 percent difference between the high and low districts could be permissible in certain contexts.
Perkins Quoca said the intent is not to create impractical constraints but to strike a balance: she proposed more structured pre- and post-publication hearings to make feedback actionable while acknowledging logistical constraints on meeting schedules. The committee did not take a final vote on SB 587 during the session.
Next steps: sponsor invited further committee discussion on details such as number and location of hearings and how comments will be collected and posted publicly.
