Who you send to Hartford, and even to Washington, could be changing as the state sorts out its heated redistricting process.
The eight members of the Reapportionment Committee will be drawing up new districts based on the latest Census numbers. In Connecticut, unlike most states, both parties get an equal say.
"We do it on a bipartisan basis,” says state Rep. Gregg Haddad (D-Mansfield), the committee's co-chair. “There are equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans on this committee."
Once
the maps are drawn, two-thirds often entire
General Assembly has to approve them before a Sept. 15 deadline. But the Census
Bureau is months late delivering crucial data. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo
says that that data would be delivered “no later than Sept. 30.”
Connecticut's commission says they'll miss the deadline. House Minority Leader State Rep. Vin Candelora said that “there is no way” plans will be in place before Sept. 15.
If they miss it, the group adds a ninth tie-breaking member and gets an extra six weeks. If they still can't agree by then, the state Supreme Court moves in.
Based on new Census data, Connecticut will keep all five of its seats in Congress – although where those lines are drawn are sure to shift.