Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) on Friday urged lawmakers to advance his redistricting-reform plan, hours before two legislative committees were scheduled to hold hearings on the measure.

Hogan wants to end gerrymandering by requiring a nonpartisan commission to draw the state’s voting boundaries. He proposed similar legislation last year, but the committees never voted on it.

“Most Marylanders of all parties favor an independent, nonpartisan redistricting process,” the governor said at a news conference. “The very least that these Marylanders deserve is to have this bill come to the floor of both houses for an up-or-down vote.”

Under the existing system, state officials are in charge of the redistricting process, including the governor and the legislature.

Hogan called the state’s current voting maps, which were created under Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), “absurd and disgraceful,” and said the districts were drawn to give Democrats an edge in elections.

Democratic lawmakers, including those who represent the state in Congress, are pressing Hogan to support national redistricting reform. But Hogan says Maryland should act unilaterally rather than spend time trying to enact reforms that many states will agree to.