DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowans will be able to read the first draft of legislative district maps on Sept. 16, according to members of the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission.
Members met Tuesday morning, just a few days after the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2020 data for Iowa.
The special commission still needs to decide on the number of public meetings it will hold to discuss the report's first draft. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, members discussed the possibility of holding virtual public meetings in September.
In the past, public redistricting meetings were organized based on geographical location so the most Iowans could be reached.
The commission is responsible for looking at the census data and drafting up two maps for the legislature to vote on: congressional and legislative.
The Iowa Supreme Court will likely need to weigh in on the new timeline for the congressional draft report, as the commission will miss the statute deadline set for Sept. 1.
In February, the U.S. Census Bureau released a new redistricting data timeline to states because of COVID-19-related shifts in data collection.
State lawmakers will take the commission's final report, after the public hearings, and finalize the new maps in a special session.
The special commission meets next week to finalize a schedule for public hearings. You can find the latest updates here.
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