Keeping Union County in one piece

A redistricting plan approved by the SC House Judiciary Committee ensures Union County will have a resident legislator for the next 10 years, State Rep. Mike Anthony says.

The plan, which was approved Monday, changes the boundaries of SC House District 42. Currently, the district is composed of all of Union County and part of Spartanburg County. Under the new plan, District 42 will continue to be composed of all of Union County and part of Laurens County running along SC 56 into downtown Clinton.

Anthony said the new district lines preserves Union County’s ability to elect a resident legislator to the SC House of Representatives.

“This was the key issue for me going into the redistricting process,” Anthony said. “We were able to keep the entire county in one piece, in one district. The new district has a total population of 38,100 with all but approximately 10,000 living in Union County. This means we will have the numbers to ensure the election of a Union County resident to the House.”

The Union County Legislative Delegation is composed of Anthony and State Sens. Harvey Peeler, Creighton Coleman and Shane Martin. Of the four, only Anthony is a Union County resident.

The House of Representatives will reconvene Tuesday at which time the full House will review and vote on the plan. If approved by the House, the plan will go to the Senate for approval. It will then go to Gov. Nikki Haley and if signed by her will then be reviewed the US Justice Department which has the final say on whether or not it will become law.

A congressional redistricting plan approved in May would move Union County out of the Fourth Congressional District it currently shares with Spartanburg and Greenville counties and into the Fifth Congressional District. The proposed Fifth Congressional District would be composed of Chester, Cherokee, Lancaster, Lee, Newberry, Fairfield, Kershaw, Sumter, Union and York counties.

That plan must also be approved by both houses the SC General Assembly, signed by the governor and approved by the Justice Department before it becomes law.

By Charles Warner, Staff Reporter with The Union Daily Times