HYANNIS – State Senators Julian Cyr (D-Truro) and Susan Moran (D-Falmouth) recently released a statement supporting revisions to the boundaries of the 4th and 9th Massachusetts congressional districts.
The state senators join a growing group of lawmakers and advocacy groups proposing the inclusion of Fall River within the bounds of the 9th Congressional District (CD9), which is currently being written by the Special Joint Committee on Redistricting.
The senators cited the creation of equitable representation by uniting large portions of the Cape Verdean, Azorean, and Brazilian communities into one district as a factor in their support.
The senators also said that the proposed district would benefit the state’s Blue Economy.
“A congressional district stretching from Fall River to Nantucket to Cohasset is an opportunity to unify and better coordinate responses to rising sea levels and job creation in the renewable energy sector, particularly for the fledgling offshore wind industry,” said the senators in their joint statement.
“We believe that pairing Fall River and New Bedford with Cape Cod, the Islands, and the South Shore will enable a more equitable, just, and representative district map,” they added.
Fall River and New Bedford, which both play a role in the state’s maritime industries, have been divided by congressional maps since 1981.
The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting is currently considering public comment.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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