RALEIGH – The proposal has changed.

On Friday of last week, the NC House Redistricting Committee released its first proposal, one that included a major change in two Districts which include Roanoke-Chowan area counties.

That initial release moved Bertie County out of its current District (5; as represented by Annie Mobley of Ahoskie) and in with Halifax County. It also moved Northampton County from its current District (27; as represented by Michael Wray of Gaston), pairing it with Hertford, Gates and a portion of Pasquotank.

A new proposal, released Wednesday afternoon, joins Northampton and Halifax counties to create one District and Bertie, Hertford, Gates and a small portion of Pasquotank to form another District.

The district lines are not yet final until they are voted upon by the General Assembly and approved by the federal government.

In then meantime, a Redistricting Public Hearing remains scheduled for later today (Thursday) from 4-9 p.m. at Roanoke-Chowan Community College (room 126 of the Jernigan Building). Registration for speaking will begin one hour prior to the convening of the hearing and will close prior to the beginning of the hearing. Each speaker will be limited to five minutes.

Comments at that public hearing can also be directed at a  proposal affecting Senate District 4 represented by Ed Jones of Enfield. That District currently encompasses Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton and Perquimans counties.

The proposed redistricting would separate Jones from the R-C region. The proposal has Jones’ home of Halifax County paired with Warren and Vance along with portions of Nash and Wilson counties. It also calls for the creation of an eight-county Senate District, to include Bertie, Hertford and Northampton along with Edgecombe, Martin, Chowan, Washington and Tyrrell.

Gates County, currently in Senate District 4, would be moved out under the proposal, joining with Pasquotank, Perquimans, Camden, Currituck and possibly Dare to form a new District.