With Massachusetts set to lose Congressional seat, redistricting committee will hold hearing in Greenfield

The hearing is one of several being held around the state.

S.P. Sullivan, MassLive.comL-R, Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Rep. Michael Moran and Sen. Stanley Rosenberg hear testimony at the Joint Committee on Redistricting's public hearing in Springfield.

The Special Joint Committee on Redistricting, tasked with redrawing Massachusetts' Congressional and Legislative districts, will hold a hearing in Greenfield Tuesday evening.

The Commonwealth lost one of its 10 Congressional seats after the results of the 2010 census showed its population growth did not keep pace with other states, which means the committee, chaired by Sen. Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, will have to redraw Congressional boundaries based on a shrunken delegation.

Western Mass., which currently holds two Congressional seats headquartered in the region and stretching out into Worcester county, has been seen as a potential target to lose representation, because population growth in the 1st Congressional district was among the slowest in the state.

In an interview at the onset of the statewide hearings, Rosenberg said that most of those who testify at the hearings — which are being held around the state — come out to call for preservation of their district.

"Every region of the state has an argument for why their district shouldn't be destroyed, why their member of Congress should be protected in some way," Rosenberg said. "And then, of course, the general public says 'Don't protect incumbents.' But of course when it comes time to vote, they re-elect them by very wide margins."

The initial hearing, held in Springfield, drew support for Congressmen Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and John Olver, D-Amherst, who would potentially become rivals in 2012 were the committee to eliminate one of the Western Massachusetts-based districts. Listen to testimony from the hearing »

Tuesday's hearing will be held at Greenfield Community College's Sloan Theater at 6 p.m. Members of the public can also submit written testimony and recommendations through the committee's website.

Another hearing is scheduled in Pittsfield on June 11.