COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The South Carolina House will take online testimony this week about redistricting as it appears the General Assembly won't take up the new maps for U.S. House and state Senate and House districts for several months.
The House's redistricting committee meets 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Blatt Building at the Statehouse to listen to the public both in person and online.
The committee with five Republicans and three Democrats just finished holding nine meetings around South Carolina on what criteria should be used to draw maps for the 46 state Senate districts, 124 state House districts and seven U.S. House districts based on 2020 U.S. Census data.
Leaders in the House and Senate initially hoped to hold an October special session to approve the new maps, but House leaders now expect that to be delayed until December. Senate President Harvey Peeler canceled a special session in his chamberscheduled for Oct. 12 after the Senate redistricting committee asked for more time.
The Senate subcommittee held 10 hearings across the state. They set their criteria for new districts earlier this month.
The two chambers usually don’t alter the other chamber’s map. Both chambers will work together on the U.S. House map.
South Carolina added nearly 500,000 people from 2010 to 2020 to become the 23rd largest state in the U.S. with 5.1 million people, according to the Census.
Much of that growth was along the coast and the suburbs of Charlotte, North Carolina. Twenty-four of South Carolina’s 46 counties lost population, mostly in rural areas.