Sen. Pederson invites public to Enid redistricting town hall

As the Legislature is set to tackle state and congressional redistricting, Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, is encouraging citizens to get involved in the process by attending a redistricting town hall in Enid on Jan. 21.

The meeting, which will be held at the Autry Technology Center Lectorium at 6 p.m., will feature redistricting experts discussing the process, answering constituent questions and taking input for how district lines should be drawn.

“Every 10 years, the Legislature is constitutionally required to redraw state legislative and congressional district boundaries based on the updated population data collected by the United States Census,” Pederson said. “Some areas in our state have experienced population growth, while others have experienced a decline, so we have to draw these new boundary lines with those trends in mind.”

At the town hall, participants will hear from redistricting experts, learn more about the process and have the opportunity to ask questions and give input. For those unable to attend the meeting in-person, it will be streamed online and archived for later viewing at www.oksenate.gov. Citizens can also send questions and comments to redistricting@oksenate.gov.

“How our legislative lines are redrawn will impact all Oklahomans for the next decade, so we want to work together to ensure we get it right,” Pederson said. “Government works best when we hear from all voices, so I highly encourage everyone to attend the meeting if you can.”

For more information about the redistricting process, visit www.oksenate.gov/redistricting.