TRENTON — It’s official: Rutgers public policy professor Alan Rosenthal is the tie-breaking member of the commission to redraw the state’s 40 legislative districts. Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed Rosenthal this afternoon, after the five Democrats and five Republicans on the commission informed him that they failed to reach an agreement on a new legislative district map based on...
Legislative Redistricting Commission members listen to public speakers during a public hearing held in Camden in this file photo. TRENTON — It’s official: Rutgers public policy professor Alan Rosenthal is the tie-breaking member of the commission to redraw the state’s 40 legislative districts.
Chief Justice Stuart Rabner appointed Rosenthal this afternoon, after the five Democrats and five Republicans on the commission informed him that they failed to reach an agreement on a new legislative district map based on the 2010 Census.
Rosenthal, 78, has spent his career studying state legislatures and has written several books, most recently Engines of Democracy: Politics and Policymaking in State Legislatures. He chairs the legislative ethics committee and served twice as the tie-breaking member of the U.S. House redistricting commission, in 1992 and 2001.
Rosenthal’s appointment has been expected for months. Rabner asked both Republicans and Democrats on the commission to suggest several potential tie breakers, and both sides recommended Rosenthal.
From today, the commission has one more month to redraw the state’s legislative districts, which is done once every 10 years. Most legislative districts in New Jersey tend to lean towards one party or another, so the map’s configuration has a huge influence on which party will control both houses of the Legislature.
A process to redraw the state’s congressional districts will begin in June. That is also expected to be contentious, since New Jersey is going from 13 House districts to 12 because the state’s population has not grown as fast as states in the south and west.
Previous coverage:
• N.J. redistricting commission to request tie-breaking 11th member
• N.J. redistricting panel member refuses to attend public meetings until he has an official role
• With release of census data, N.J. Legislature has 60 days to come up with redistricting map
• N.J. Democrats ask Republicans to disclose donors to organization funding redistricting efforts
• N.J. redistricting could shift legislative seat toward southern part of state
• N.J. legislative redistricting commission starts process that will redraw congressional lines
• N.J. Democrats, Republicans agree on Rutgers professor as 11th member of redistricting commission