Indiana Senate Republicans today unveiled their draft of state Senate maps which creates four open seats.

The seats are District 1 in Lake County, District 23  in west Indiana, District 26 in eastern Indiana an District 46 which has been moved to central Marion County.

Indiana is required by state and federal law to redraw Indiana’s legislative and congressional maps following the nationwide census every 10 years.

“I’m very pleased with the work done to produce the new Senate district maps we are proposing,” President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) said. “We have prioritized keeping communities of interest together and drawing districts that make sense for the Hoosiers who live there, while maintaining nearly equal populations in each district. In addition, we took the public feedback we gathered during our statewide listening tour and were able to implement a number of the suggestions Hoosier citizens made.”

 Highlights of proposed Indiana Senate maps

  • Comply with all state and federal requirements
  • Use guiding principles provided in statewide redistricting hearings
  • Keep communities of interest together

o   Increases the number of whole counties contained in one Senate district from 49 in the 2011 maps to 65

o   96% of all townships are kept whole

o   92% of all cities and towns are kept whole

“We repeatedly heard in our listening tour across the state that the public wants communities of interest kept together, and that is what we have aspired to do as we drew these maps,” bill sponsor State Sen. Eric Koch (R-Bedford) said. “With more than 90% of cities, towns and townships kept whole, I believe we have honored that request while navigating the competing interests that inevitably exist when you undertake a project of this magnitude.”

To view the initial draft of the Indiana Senate districts and the most current draft of the Indiana Congressional districts, click here.

You can hear Senators Bray, Ford and Cook in the Leon-Tailored Audio above.  It runs approximately 20 minutes.

Photo:  Brandon Smith, Indiana Public Media