Democrat-Led Panel Approves Redistricting Amendment in NJ

New Jersey lawmakers have advanced a proposal asking voters to sign off on overhauling how the state creates legislative districts.

The Democrat-led Senate budget committee approved the proposal late Monday.

Republicans, a civil rights coalition and one of the state’s highest-profile pollsters opposed the plan.

Supporters say the proposal increases transparency by requiring public hearings and adding public members to the commission that draws the state’s 40 legislative districts.

But opponents say the proposed question obscures a built-in advantage for Democrats by tying districts’ makeup to political party performance in statewide elections over the previous decade.

New Jersey reconsiders its legislative districts after the federal census every 10 years.

Democratic Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin says his chamber will consider the proposal in the next 20 days.