Citizens commission launches ‘shadow’ Indianapolis redistricting process
The Indianapolis Citizens Redistricting Commission began its work Saturday with a webinar on redistricting basics and a call for the city-county council to adopt a more “open and transparent” approach to redrawing city election districts. The citizens’ commission will also produce its own proposed council district map and offer it as an alternative to any map developed by the Democratic supermajority on the council, said Julia Vaughn, policy director of Common Cause Indiana and a redistricting reform leader. “We certainly hope they will be willing to consider the alternative map that we provide to them,” Vaughn said in the Zoom…
Redistricting reformers announce members of independent citizens panel to propose new city-county maps
UPDATE: The Indianapolis Citizens Redistricting Commission, an independent, politically balanced group formed to propose redistricting maps for the Indianapolis City-County Council, has announced its members. Like the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission formed in 2021 to propose maps for the Indiana General Assembly's redrawing of the state's congressional and legislative districts, the Indianapolis commission will be balanced with three members identified as Democrats, three Republicans and three politically independent. The Democratic members are Jeff Davis of Perry Township, listed as a retiree and food bank volunteer; Ashley Hogue, a Christian school director and member of equal rights group Concerned Clergy of…
Lee Hamilton commentary: Democracy takes it on the chin in redistricting
Around the country, states have been taking on the task of coming up with new lines for congressional districts. And with about two-thirds of the districts for the next decade mapped out, a recent New York Times analysis found something discouraging. The people drawing redistricting maps, wrote Reid J. Epstein and Nick Corasaniti, “are on pace to draw fewer than 40 seats—out of 435—that are considered competitive based on the 2020 presidential election results.” To be sure, it’s not like we used to live in a political paradise of competitive districts, where each voter could believe that he or she might make a difference:…
Judge approves settlement of legal dispute over St. Joseph County redistricting, clearing the way for new maps
UPDATE: An Elkhart County judge has approved the settlement of a legal dispute over redistricting in St. Joseph County, clearing the way for a redrawn set of district maps for county commissioner and council districts. Wednesday's action in Elkhart Superior Court followed votes to approve the new maps (above) by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners and County Council earlier this week. According to an analysis of the new maps published Thursday in the South Bend Tribune, the new maps appear likely to strengthen Democratic support in one or two council districts as well as one of the commissioners'…
In 5-4 vote, justices reinstate Alabama voting map despite lower court’s ruling that it dilutes Black votes
The following report by Amy Howe was first published in SCOTUSblog, and is republished according to SCOTUSblog republishing guidelines. The Supreme Court on Monday allowed Alabama to implement a redistricting plan that is being challenged as illegal racial gerrymandering. A lower court ruled last month that the state’s new congressional map likely violates the Voting Rights Act, and it ordered the state to draw a new map. But the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision put the lower court’s ruling on hold, effectively allowing Alabama to proceed with its preferred map as it prepares for primary elections in May. Alabama created the…
Due to lack of applicants, Bloomington scales back its independent redistricting commission from 9 members to 5
Bloomington, Ind. -- The Bloomington City Council has scaled back its plan for an independent citizen redistricting commission, reducing the panel from a proposed nine members to five. The change should make it possible for the commission to be appointed and begin meeting this month, said Councilmember Steve Volan (above), the primary advocate for citizen-led redistricting in the city. “Here’s to a meeting by the first of March,” he said. “I’m really eager to see them start work.” The panel, called the Citizens Redistricting Advisory Commission, will have until late this year to redraw the six city council election districts…