By Lori L. Riley, Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — State lawmakers discussed the strategy behind West Virginia’s recently redrawn Congressional map this week with local business leaders.
West Virginia State Senator Mike Caputo, D-13, and House of Delegates Majority Leader Amy Summers, R-Taylor both sat on redistricting committees for their chambers. The lawmakers spoke Tuesday at the Bridges Without Boundaries Business Summit at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center.
“As a result of [West Virginia’s] population loss, we lost a Congressional seat,” Moderator and Senior Advisor and Director of State Relations at West Virginia University Rocco Fucillo said.
The census “determines Congressional seats and Congressional districts, not only for the federal Congressional districts, but also what the districts look like for the House of Delegates and for the State Senate,” Fucillo said.
“West Virginia was one of three states to lose population,” West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner said via video to summit guests. “Our decrease was 3.2 percent since 2010. It was about 60,000 residents, and that loss was not spread evenly across the state, so new Congressional Senate and House district lines had to be drawn.” …
