RI Redistricting Commission can consider Environmental Justice neighborhoods as 'Communities of

RI Redistricting Commission can consider Environmental Justice neighborhoods as ‘Communities of Interest’


The fifth meeting of Rhode Island’s Redistricting Commission met in Woonsocket Monday evening as part of an effort to bring the commission to the people in various parts of the state. Public turnout has been rather dismal at the two “road show” hearings so far:





The presentations given at these meetings consist of information mostly given at earlier hearings, though the information is slanted to the local area.

The Commission’s consultant, Kimball Brace, was in Michigan so the presentation was given by Ryan Taylor, also from Election Data Services.

Over the course of the last meetings, the concept of “communities of interest” (COI) as a way of understanding populations for purposes of redistricting has been examined and defined, though not completely. Taylor himself admitted that “communities of interest” is a “vague concept” but he listed some examples, including Environmental Groups, such as the people who came together to oppose Invenergy’s proposed power plant in Burrillville.

Read more: https://upriseri.com/ri-redistricting-woonsocket/