Map approved by Senate today includes changes to strengthen representation for BIPOC voters in Brockton
BOSTON – The Drawing Democracy Coalition is celebrating the creation of six majority-minority Senate districts, including two that are new, following Senate passage of the map proposed by Redistricting Committee Co-Chair Senator William Brownsberger. In response to advocacy from Drawing Democracy and its partners, the first draft of the Senate map was revised to create an additional majority-minority district based on total population and Voting Age Population by combining Brockton with Randolph and Avon. The final Senate map also creates a strong majority-Latinx district in Lawrence by separating it from Andover and combining it instead with Methuen, which remedied a long-existing Voting Rights Act violation.
“This is the power of a fair and transparent redistricting process – community members, advocates and local officials made their voices heard and demanded more equitable representation for BIPOC, immigrant and low-income communities in Massachusetts, and the Redistricting Committee listened,” said Beth Huang, convener of the Drawing Democracy Coalition and Executive Director of the Massachusetts Voter Table. “As a result, BIPOC voters across the commonwealth, and particularly in Brockton and Lawrence, will have greater opportunity to elect candidates of their choice. We’re grateful to Senator William Brownsberger for listening to our concerns and recommendations and taking action that will have long-term, positive impacts for the future of our communities, our commonwealth and our democracy. We urge the House to now approve the Senate map and Governor Baker to sign both the House and Senate maps into law.”
The Senate also voted on Wednesday in favor of the House map, which creates 33 majority-minority districts. The legislature is expected to release their draft Congressional map soon. Earlier this month, Drawing Democracy released a Congressional Unity Map that called for uniting the immigrant communities of Fall River and New Bedford in the Ninth Congressional District.
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