Steve Burns
WMAL.com
ANNAPOLIS – (WMAL) Maryland’s Republicans and Virginia’s Democrats both claim to be victims of gerrymandering in their respective states, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin is advocating for that with his “Potomac Compact,” a plan for both states to get redistricted through one independent commission of nonpartisan experts.
“I’m saying let’s get the two states together, and everybody surrender a little bit of the partisanship, and everybody can advance together in principle,” Raskin told WMAL. “The only way we’re going to be able to disengage from this mutually-assured destruction is to have states think beyond state lines and saying ‘we’re going to do this together.’”
Raskin said he met with Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and he sounded receptive to the plan.
“He said he’s very open to the plan and he’s very friendly with (Virginia) Governor (Terry) McAuliffe,” Raskin said. “The stars seem lined up. We’ve got a state with a Democratic legislature and a Republican governor, and Virginia’s got a state with a Democratic governor and Republican legislature. It just might be a more positive and creative way to move forward.”
Raskin said he hopes to work out the details over the next few months in time for approval by both states’ legislatures next year.
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