Speakers promote ideas for legislative maps in Myrtle Beach area

State legislators have a lot to consider after Thursday's redistricting public hearing in Myrtle Beach, which had the most speakers and was the most attended of the events so far.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, the subcommittee chairman, said more people spoke and came to the event than have at the others throughout the state, though attendance has built over the course of the hearings.

The hearing by the S.C. House election law subcommittee held in Myrtle Beach, was the fifth of nine planned throughout the state to elicit public comments about the redistricting process, which will be used to help draw the 124 house districts and the U.S. congressional districts.

"It is the first step in long and involved process to create long and involved plan," Clemmons said.

Because of population growth Horry County will likely gain an additional House seat through the redistricting process, Clemmons said, and several of the speakers gave their opinions on how those lines could be drawn.

Billy Huggins, from Murrells Inlet, asked the committee to consider redrawing House District 106, which includes Surfside Beach, Garden City Beach and the Bucksport area, so that Murrells Inlet residents would be included.

"Our neighborhoods are divided," he said. "Look at this jigsaw puzzle, take a hard look at considering the natural geographic barrier [of Brookgreen Gardens]."

Carroll Padgett of Loris suggested that a House seat be centered in Loris and said the area has specific needs that can best be addressed by a local representative who understands the community.

Mickey James, the Myrtle Beach NAACP branch president, said a minority district should be considered.

"Look at the population of minorities, Hispanic, black and others," he said, adding that he knows creating a minority district could be a challenge.

Cedric Spain, a Democratic state executive committee member for Horry County, offered the panel a possibility for how to draw a possible minority district, by combining parts of District 105 and District 106 with the neighboring District 58, which would include a significant black population.

"These districts were gerrymandered in my opinion to keep African-Americans out," he said.

Spain said he felt it was the prime opportunity to give an actual example of how a minority district could be created.

"It would give fairness to an African-American and they would have the same opportunity to win as what they would consider the majority," he said after the hearing.

Several speakers, including Dennis DiSabato, the president of the Carolina Forest Civic Association argued that Carolina Forest, given its growth and potential for future expansion as the economy recovers, should be the seat of the new House representative.

"We feel we are deserving of a House district ourselves to have a centralized focus for our needs," he said.

Other speakers, including Brian Scott of North Myrtle Beach, asked the committee to try to not have subdivisions or precincts that are divided between different representatives.

Clemmons said it seems to make sense for Carolina Forest, with its tremendous growth, to be a contender for the center of that new district.

Other speakers focused on making the case for having the new congressional district centered in Horry County and including Georgetown, Williamsburg, Florence, Marion, Dillon, Marlboro and Darlington counties. Arguments varied from mutual interests in the regions to needed economic improvements.

Daniel Cochran, the vice chair of Carolina Patriots, raised concerns about roads and other needs in Horry County.

He also reiterated what some had said at Monday's S.C. Senate redistricting subcommittee meeting, which was that the new congressional district should be drawn along the lines of the former 6th District. The suggestion to follow those old boundaries was echoed by many of the hearing's more than 30 speakers.

"Definitely our feeling is that the demographics of the area much better reflect what we have in the upper corner [of the state]," Cochran said. "Our needs are a little bit different than what they like down there in Charleston."

Dick Collett said that the new congressional district should be centered here not just because the area has more in common with the Pee Dee, but also, because in order to grow, the area needs local representation.

"I see the area will continue to float along [without a representative]," he said. "We need growth and we need this growth through having our own congressman."

Jim Gunn, said that the Upstate, which is also asking to be the new district's center, already has representation and more industry.

"I believe these counties already have a strong industry base and infrastructure," he said. "Our counties need a congressman to support our interests."

A local congressman would also help in the effort to improve and add local roads, especially the long-discussed Interstate 73, which would be the Myrtle Beach area's first interstate, Gunn said.

Nancy Kolman, the chair of the Democratic Party in Georgetown County, said that it is important that the Georgetown port is dredged and that roads are improved. A representative who would champion those interests is important, she said.

Clemmons said most of the speakers have supported a seventh district centered in Horry County. But, he added, the Upstate hearing hasn't yet taken place.

The subcommittee will finish its remaining four public hearings by next week and will begin the process of redrawing the maps. The plan, and requirement, is that a completed plan that is approved by the Senate and signed by the governor will be sent to the Department of Justice for review by the end of August.