About 60 Augusta area residents came out to the second of 12 statewide redistricting hearings Tuesday.

Many of those who spoke had misgivings about a redistricting process controlled by the Republican legislature.

Burke county minister Charles Utley told members of the redistricting committee he didn’t like that decisions were being made behind closed doors with the help of a private firm:

"The public has a right to know what it is and who it is that’s doing it and all I’m saying is that through what ever means that you deem necessary make sure that it’s trickled down to even the least of these that’s in these various communities."

Another speaker was Joey Traina, president of the Yong Democrats of Richmond County:

"None of these maps really defer to me necessarily and in not knowing what you’re maps will look like I don’t get the feeling that you care. But it’s nice to be heard. I wish you could tell me something but it is nice to have a hearing anyway."

In the past redistricting was handled by the non-partisan Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia.

Tags: Augusta, Georgia redistricting, redistricting hearing, Joey Traina, Charles Utley