Statement on redistricting

     The first role of government is to work by and for the people. Across the country, this is being put to the test. Many hoped that we would not have to worry about redistricting in our own state, and yet here we are. After what appeared to be an open and transparent process by the RI Redistricting Commission for months, it was all thrown away.
    The first district plans were released on December 2, 2021. After the last ten years of Lincoln being divided across two State Senate districts, the town seemed like it would finally be unified. It would have ensured our community could efficiently advocate for the election of candidates and drafting of policies that benefit every Lincolnite. Unification of Lincoln was not just a potential option, but the only option the Commission considered across three different map proposals over the course of weeks.
    If the breaking up of Lincoln was a proposal provided by the Commission during the process beforehand, it would have left ample opportunities for Lincoln citizens to get involved and object. When the Commission released its final proposals, it was clear something was amiss. They were released five minutes before the final hearing, and no public comment was allowed. Rather than maintaining a unified Lincoln, the town was broken up across not two, but three different State Senate districts.
    Allegations of impropriety, and denials, have been thrown around from multiple sides. The goal here is not to put blame on one person, elected official, or group, but outline the legitimate concerns that have been raised recently. The primary concern is the fact that State Senator Archambault owns land in Lincoln, and that land is now a part of his own District 22. Whether the Senator has plans to move (which he denies) is not important. What is important is that while the Senator and state redistricting consultant Kimball Brace has stated that this was done because Lincoln residents expressed an interest in being connected to Smithfield as a community of interest, local journal outlets like the Providence Journal have reported that there was no communication between Lincoln residents and in fact, no paper trail can be found of who these unnamed residents are or what their concerns were. As the information about the breaking up of Lincoln has been shared with residents online, the reaction has been the exact opposite, that residents do not want to be separated into other districts. Anyone can find a virtual trail in the Lincoln Community Group on Facebook, and public comments on The Valley Breeze articles. When State Senator Paolino of Lincoln testified against the proposed changes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, his concerns were largely dismissed, and he was not allowed to respond when unverifiable claims of concerned Lincoln citizens not wanting to be a part of the town’s district were brought up again.
    Maintaining a sense of fairness and transparency should be the number one concern of anyone serving in government. While most of the Redistricting Commission process has been open, accessible, and perceivably fair, dividing Lincoln up has not been. It is unfortunate, but not unexpected that the Senate Judiciary Committee has approved of the changes and sent them to the full Senate for approval. Tuesday, February 15, the full Senate is expected to take up and vote on the new maps. Before they are approved, Lincoln residents should be re-united into a single State Senate district.