(RALEIGH) -- A legislative panel that will redraw district lines for state legislative and congressional seats held its first meeting Wednesday.

Republicans, who now control a majority in both chambers, promised the redistricting process would be more open and transparent than in previous years. However, Democrats said GOP lawmakers were already blocking the minority party from offering input.
 
Senate minority leader Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe, complained that Republican leaders wouldn't allow two members involved heavily in previous remapping efforts to serve on the Senate Redistricting Committee. Nesbitt said multiple requests to include Sens. Dan Clodfelter, D-Mecklenburg, and Dan Blue, D-Wake, were denied.
 
“We're left with a redistricting committee that doesn’t include the two Senators in this body with the most experience with redistricting,” said Nesbitt. “I can only conclude that Senators Clodfelter and Blue were excluded because of their special knowledge and experience – I know of no other reason for excluding them.”

Committee chairman Sen. Bob Rucho, R-Mecklenburg, defended the makeup of the redistricting panel, which he said was put together to represent the entire state.  He also downplayed the need to have committee members with legal expertise.
 
“This is a complicated issue, but we have plenty of legal staff that is able to help us with this. You don’t need to be a lawyer to be on this committee to be able to draw those maps,” said Rucho. “You follow the instructions. You know what the knowledge is on the Stephenson case and you can draw these districts fair and legal. And that’s the intent.”
 
The House didn’t attend the meeting because its members were still debating a half-billion dollar reform of the health insurance plan for state employees.