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West Virginia Senate approves new senatorial district map after delays

By Steven Allen Adams, The Journal

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The fifth time was the charm Tuesday, as the West Virginia Senate passed a bill drawing new borders for the 17 state senatorial districts after days of delays and internal disagreements on maps.

Senate Bill 3034, dividing the state into senatorial districts, passed 31-2, with one senator absent after two factions of Senate Republicans came to an agreement on a map amendment Tuesday afternoon.

The Legislature meets every 10 years to redraw congressional, delegate and senatorial districts based on updated U.S. Census numbers.

West Virginia’s population dropped from 1,852,994 residents to 1,793,716 residents in 2020, resulting in the need to draw 17 senatorial districts with as close to 105,513 residents as possible while remaining compact and maintaining communities of interest. While it is encouraged to consider county boundaries when drawing the district, at least four county splits are required to keep districts as equal in population as possible.

An amendment was offered to SB 3034 on Tuesday afternoon by Senate Redistricting Committee Chairman Charles Trump, R-Morgan. The amendment was a compromise between moderate Republicans led by Trump and Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, and more conservative members of the majority caucus, led by state senators Robert Karnes, R-Randolph, and Eric Tarr, R-Putnam…

To read more: https://www.journal-news.net/journal-news/west-virginia-senate-approves-new-senatorial-district-map-after-delays/article_985f873f-5505-53ba-8c8a-97f7bc697e35.html

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