July 31, 2001|By David Nitkin | David Nitkin,SUN STAFF
State lawmakers from Baltimore released a draft of the city's political future yesterday, unveiling a legislative redistricting plan that would draw deeper connections with neighboring Baltimore County while sacrificing at least three white politicians. The plan seeks to protect black incumbents and the city's influence in Annapolis.
"This map forms the base for some discussions," said Del. Howard P. "Pete" Rawlings, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.
"This was dictated by the numbers. Each district lost substantial population," said Rawlings, who oversaw the city House delegation's effort to redraw political lines after the 2000 census.
Baltimore lost 84,860 people between 1990 and 2000, which means the city stands to lose at least one state senator and two or three delegates. In the map released yesterday at a gathering of City Council members and state legislators at City Hall, the early loser appears to be Sen. George W. Della Jr., whose 47th District, largely in the southern portion of the city, would be eliminated.
If he seeks re-election, Della would be forced to run against Sen. Perry Sfikas. Two incumbent delegates in Della's district, Brian K. McHale and William H. Cole IV, would be pitted against three incumbents in Sfikas' east-side 46th District, Cornell N. Dypski, Peter A. Hammen and Carolyn J. Krysiak.
All eight lawmakers in the two districts are white Democrats. Baltimore is two-thirds black, and Rawlings said preserving black incumbents and the city's strength in Annapolis were priorities in crafting a redistricting plan.
"It eliminates the district we knew," Cole said. "You'd like to be able to keep everything the same, but you can't. I have every intention of running again. This is obviously a very preliminary map."
Although many steps remain before Gov. Parris N. Glendening and the legislature agree on final legislative boundaries, the proposal made public yesterday could become the framework for serious negotiations. City delegates approved it on a 14-4 vote last week, with one abstention, Rawlings said.
House Speaker Casper R. Taylor Jr. asked delegates from the city and each county to craft plans for their regions. Those plans will be melded by a committee, then passed on to a five-member advisory panel. But Glendening has the final say and is to introduce a redistricting bill the first day of next year's legislative session that is expected to become law.
The city's senators have still not had their say and will likely also make changes to the plan.
Another notable element of the plan is the large number of voters it picks up from Baltimore County. After the 1990 census, then-Gov. William Donald Schaefer created several legislative districts that spanned city-county lines as a way to maintain the collective strength of city lawmakers.
As drawn, those districts include 40,000 county residents. The proposal would draw 100,000 county voters into shared districts - including areas in Rodgers Forge near Towson, along North Point Boulevard on the east side and in Woodlawn to the west.
The 10th District, which includes four black legislators who represent the city and the county, would be entirely in Baltimore County. That move would leave Del. Shirley Nathan-Pulliam from the 10th running against incumbents from the 41st District.
The map was drawn without input from county lawmakers. "It's not clear that Baltimore County is going to go along with that," Rawlings said.
Others appealed to the concept of regionalism, saying connections between Baltimore and nearby counties are vital to the city. "The plan is best for Baltimore," city Del. Verna L. Jones said.
Although extensive change looms, lawmakers have remained calm during the early stages - in part because of cynicism.
"This is an exercise in futility," Baltimore Del. Nathaniel T. Oaks said, "because the maps are drawn by the governor, with input from the senators."
