(RALEIGH) -- State lawmakers got plenty of criticism during a public hearing on proposed changes to legislative districts.

Members of the Joint Redistricting Committee held the meeting to get feedback on draft maps for roughly one-quarter of the 170 House and Senate seats. Those maps mostly involve districts where a majority of voters are African American.

The event, which lasted more than four hours, was held in Raleigh. Public comment also came in through video conference at seven other locations across the state.

The Republican plan would create new districts that give minority voters a greater ability to elect the candidates of their choice. However, civil rights advocates criticized the maps for “packing” certain districts with African American voters in order to minimize their political power in other areas.

“Drawing the districts in this manner represents a strategy for segregation for partisan advantage rather than a balanced plan that takes many factors into account,” Ben Griffin, a vice president of the New Hanover County chapter of the NAACP, said in Wilmington.

Several speakers argued that lawmakers were intentionally splitting voting precincts in order to protect Republicans. “Entire neighborhoods are divided; whole communities are disrupted,” Dan McCorkle said in Charlotte. “The districts are plainly gerrymandered.”

Other speakers, many of which identified themselves as Republicans, took issue with a proposal to create a majority-minority district that stretches across the northern portions of Franklin and Nash counties.

“It could be a positive spin put on this that we will now get two representatives,” said Jeremy Neal, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party. “What that will mean is that both representatives will come from somewhere other than our home county.”

Republican lawmakers insist the maps are fair, legal and in compliance with federal law and court rulings. Sen. Bob Rucho, chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, said while many groups – including Democrats – have criticized the plan, very few have offered alternatives.

“We’re waiting for Senator (Floyd) McKissick with the Black Caucus to come forward with their plans. We’re waiting for Senator (Martin) Nesbitt and Rep. (Joe) Hackney to come forward with their plans and yet, we have nothing but deaf ears,” said Rucho. “When we ask questions about describing packing and cracking and all the other issues they bring forward, we never hear a word.”

Rucho said they’ll take feedback from the meeting into consideration before releasing all state legislative maps on July 11. Maps for congressional districts will be released July 1.