Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. press release, January 11, 2002

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Rood, Suit* 304 lultwvill*, Morylond 2 1 093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C.2051S FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Henry Fawell Friday, January 11, 2002 202/225-3061 Statement from Congressman Ehrlich Regarding Governor Glendening’s Revised Redistricting Proposal “Two weeks ago, the constitutional and civil rights violations that epitomized Governor Glendening’s redistricting map were brought to light by Maryland’s concerned citizens and their elected officials. The Governor’s newly-submitted revisions are no less an insult to citizens across the State, particularly my constituents in eastern Baltimore County. “A proud and historic community, Dundalk deserves fair and equal representation in Annapolis, as it has in the past. Yet the Governor’s plan tears this community apart, splintering its neighborhoods into four different legislative districts, only one wholly part of Baltimore County. “So many parts of our State are similarly fractured by Governor Glendening’s proposal. Towson is split into three districts, Bel Air is cut into two, and Baltimore’s neighborhoods are decimated by the Governor to the absolute detriment of minority representation. “The foundation of American democracy, ‘One Person, One Vote’, is trampled by Governor Glendening, creating some districts with thousands upon thousands more people than other districts. Certainly many neighborhoods and communities could have been kept together if the Governor had simply drawn the legislative districts with an equal number of people in each. “The General Assembly has 45 days to correct this injustice. I hope our state representatives make every effort to protect Eastern Baltimore County and other communities throughout Maryland whose rights are violated under the Governor’s plan.” ###