County GOP Criticizes Redistricting Hearings Set on Sabbath

Republicans claim two upcoming hearings on congressional and state legislative redistricting will exclude members of some groups because they are scheduled on days of religious observance.

The five-member Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee is in the midst of a including an Aug. 12 meeting at Morgan State University and hearings at Towson University and Harford Community College on Aug. 27.

All three meetings are scheduled for Friday after sunset or on Saturday in the morning and early afternoon.

And therein lies the problem, according to Steve Kolbe, chairman of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee.

"These are the only hearings in the area," Kolbe said. "Jews and Adventists are significantly impacted by this."

Kolbe said he and committee members learned of what he called "the disenfranchisement of certain religious groups" during the committee's own public hearing on the redistricting process held last week.

"Someone who really wanted to testify could travel to some place like Arnold, but it is the belief of the committee that this severely reduces the impact of those voices," Kolbe said, adding he believes the meetings could affect as many as 100,000 people.

Kolbe said the committee would like Gov. Martin O'Malley and the committee to "make accommodations accordingly."