(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Last week, West Virginia lawmakers formed the committees that will determine the future of political districts in this ever-shrinking state. Members of redistricting committees in both the House of Delegates and the state Senate will be in charge of redrawing the lines that will divide the Mountain State into two congressional districts, rather than three.

When census data released in April showed we were hemorrhaging residents faster than any other state in the country, it also showed the damage had been done to the degree that West Virginia would be losing representation in Washington, D.C. All that playacting about wanting to attract and retain hundreds of thousands of residents to the state was too little, too late.

Now, the hard work begins.

State Sen. Charles Trump, R-Morgan, will lead the Senate committee and Delegate Gary Howell, R-Mineral, will head the House committee. Their committees are set to seek input from across the state about the best way to redraw the lines to fairly and accurately represent all West Virginians.

But the GOP holds a supermajority in both chambers. Republicans have an advantage in both committees. There will be the temptation to draw lines that benefit one party over another. Surely the folks chosen for these committees are dedicated to avoiding such a mistake.

A special session is expected to convene later in the year to decide the matter. When that session takes place, it should have two purposes — to confirm the fair drawing of political districts, AND to redouble genuine efforts to reverse the population trend. Every lawmaker in Charleston should be working toward making it a necessity to repeat this whole process in reverse a decade from now.