Without a national solution, Maryland Democrats squeezed into uncomfortable spot on redistricting

Bill Ferguson wore a detached expression and spoke in a monotone. One after another, General Assembly Republicans pressed the state Senate president to specify which Democratic lawmakers or staff drafted the latest map of Maryland’s congressional district lines and what their priorities were. Ferguson’s demeanor suggested he wanted to be anywhere but the livestreamed hearing. “I answered the question,” he replied to one delegate who was insistently seeking more details about how the map was redrawn after a judge rejected an initial version as extremely partisan.