On Elbridge Gerry’s 277th birthday, a rally against gerrymandering
How better to warn against the practice of gerrymandering than with the words of the man for whom it is named? A crowd of about 50 gathered in Indianapolis Saturday — the 277th birthday of Elbridge Gerry, the founding father blamed for the first instance of gerrymandering — t “...”
Plans for September redistricting session draw criticism from voting rights groups
Voting rights activists are criticizing reported plans by Indiana legislative leaders for a September session on redistricting that doesn’t allow for public hearings after the release of proposed congressional and legislative maps. The Indiana Citizen first reported Thursda “...”
Attorney general to appeal ruling in Holcomb suit against General Assembly
Gov. Eric Holcomb’s lawsuit against the Indiana General Assembly is moving forward, but over the continuing resistance of Attorney General Todd Rokita. In April, Holcomb (above) filed the lawsuit against the General Assembly in Marion County court over what he calls the unconst “...”
NEW FROM THE INDIANA CITIZEN: Redistricting process begins to take shape
July 8, 2021 Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray are tentatively planning on completing new congressional, state House and state Senate districts by Oct. 1, using so-called “legacy” data from the U.S. Census Bureau that will become avail “...”
Braun, Young urged to reconsider opposition to For the People Act at Downtown rally
Both are already on record in opposition, but a group of about 60 supporters of the federal For the People Act rallied in Downtown Indianapolis Tuesday to urge Sens. Mike Braun and Todd Young to reconsider their stances on the election-reform legislation. The lunch-hour rally, or “...”
New abortion law paused by federal judge
A federal judge has blocked new Indiana legislation that would require doctors to inform women receiving drug-induced abortions about a potential treatment that could reverse the procedure. On Wednesday, Federal Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued a temporary injunction keeping HE “...”
Commentary: Gerrymandering is a squeeze on the moderate voter
“Gerrymandering” is one of those awkward, made-up, and uniquely American words that has forever scarred the English language. What does it mean? It means strategically drawing legislative districts to benefit the political party in charge, immediately following the results of “...”
New study finds Indiana among the most gerrymandered states; GOP chief calls 2011 maps “some of the most fairly drawn”
July 1, 2021 A new study says Indiana’s 2011 redistricting disproportionately favors Republicans over Democrats, creating unequal representation that is “bad for democracy,” a claim state Republicans deny. Women4Change, a nonpartisan organization, hired Christopher Warsh “...”
U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Indiana vote-by-mail case
It will be up to a federal district court to rule on a suit challenging Indiana’s restrictions on vote-by-mail and absentee voting in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision not to hear the case. The high court declined to hear the Indiana case, Tully, et al. v. Okeson, e “...”
A year of change threatens the future of journalism
Two years ago, Indiana had 70 daily newspapers. Now there are fewer than 50, and over the last year, 13 paid circulation newspapers in the state closed their doors. The world may be opening back up with mask mandates going away and COVID-19 vaccines becoming more available, but s “...”