The General Assembly is trimming the fat from its ranks on a scale not seen nationally in nearly two decades.
One in four seats in the 150-member Legislature will be eliminated under a redistricting plan lawmakers began hammering out Tuesday. The downsizing is due to a 1994 voter mandate, and also must account for population changes in the past decade.
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“Every Rhode Island district will change significantly. It’s both exciting and frightening,” said Phil West, state director of the government watchdog group Common Cause.
Rhode Island’s downsizing is the largest on a percentage basis since Illinois and Massachusetts each cut their House chambers by 33 percent in 1983, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Unlike those states and others a decade before, however, Rhode Island is making deep cuts in both legislative chambers.
Some, like West, believe the move is long overdue.
“Rhode Island has one of the largest legislatures in proportion to its population of any urbanized state in country,” West said, adding fewer lawmakers may translate into more efficient government.
Minority groups and others fear changes will cost them hard-earned representation, with political leaders protecting themselves and cronies.
“By the way district lines are drawn, (lawmakers) will either ensure fair and competitive elections or guarantee the perpetual re-election of favorite incumbents,” West said.
