Members of the State Rules and Redistricting Committee listened to Eugene residents and city officials yesterday on how redistricting lines should be drawn.
Every 10 years, the state legislature forms a committee to evaluate which house and senate district lines need to be redrawn. Due to population expansion in some districts and population decline in others, lines in Eugene and throughout the state must be shifted so that each district has a similar population.
Rep. Phil Barnhart, D-Eugene, said House District 41, which he represents, and House District 39 each have a population of about 48,000. The state average, however, has been raised to 57,000, meaning each district must come as close to reaching this target population as possible.
The only way for the committee to accomplish this is by drawing new boundaries for the districts, while at the same time keeping areas with common interests together, Barnhart said.
Groups that citizens and the committee wish to keep within the same district include businesses and students.
Suggestions for redistricting include splitting District 41 by using the Willamette River as a boundary. In effect, this boundary would divide the off-campus student population by those living in the University neighborhoods and those living in Ducks Village, the University Commons and Chase Village apartment complexes.
“This would harm the already weak University student voice,” University student Jed McGuire said. “The river actually unites the students.”
James Rice, a Eugene lawyer and resident of District 40, said it’s important to keep the business community together in District 41, rather than join it with District 40 which includes the University and Lane Community College.
“Joining the two districts would weaken their interests,” Rice said.
Other suggestions from the community included keeping District 43’s boundary along the Cascade Mountain Range, and not disrupting natural neighborhoods.
Rep. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, said she agrees with a lot of the concerns voiced by the Eugene community, especially those presented by McGuire and Rice.
“It’s important for us to realize that University students are not going to have the same interests as the University administration,” Walker said.
The committee will hold hearings in cities throughout Oregon before determining any redistricting. The committee’s final decision will be made by June 30, Walker said.