Census data needed for redistricting may be available in August
UPDATE: The U.S. Census Bureau reported March 15 the data needed to redraw state legislative districts may be ready a month earlier than last reported, but at that point would come in an outdated format that might be difficult for states to use. According to a news release from the bureau, the data could be available in mid- to late August. The bureau's most recent estimate of the delivery date was Sept. 30. *** EARLIER: The U.S. Census Bureau has reported an additional delay in providing states with the population information needed for the decennial redrawing of congressional and legislative…
“Our districts are a mess:” ICRC hearing focuses on NE Indiana
Even in a Saturday afternoon Zoom meeting, the issue of how to redraw Indiana’s congressional and General Assembly districts drew a crowd. At least 80 people joined the videoconference March 13. About a dozen people, in addition to the public hearing’s organizers, spoke that day. The consensus: There are problems with state legislative districts that redistricting could improve. “State Senate districts are terrible. I think they really deprive persons of color from having a state senate representative. We have three State Senate seats in Fort Wayne, and they split the south part of Fort Wayne, which is a heavily concentrated…
Second ICRC meeting focuses on far-flung 5th Congressional District
The second virtual public hearing of the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission focused Wednesday evening on the state's 5th Congressional District, a mix of rural, urban and suburban with communities and interests so diverse that some participants questioned how they all could be represented. The commission, a nine-member “multipartisan” citizens group formed to advise and offer an alternative to the upcoming redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines by the Indiana General Assembly, is holding a series of nine public hearings, all held virtually due to public health concerns and organized by congressional district. Indiana's 5th extends from the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood…
First ICRC meeting centers on Marion County district lines
In its first public hearing on how best to redraw congressional and legislative district lines, the newly formed Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission heard Wednesday evening from a succession of Marion County residents who, in the words of one, "want to vote with people of my community, not people who live an hour away from me.'' The commission, a nine-member “multipartisan” citizens group formed to advise and offer an alternative to the upcoming redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines by the Indiana General Assembly, plans a series of eight additional public hearings, all held virtually due to public health concerns…
Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission announces schedule of public hearings
The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, a bipartisan citizens group formed to advise and offer an alternative to the upcoming redrawing of congressional and legislative district lines by the Indiana General Assembly, has announced a schedule of virtual public hearings to discuss the issue statewide. According to a news release from the commission, the public meetings will center on several questions: "Should districts emphasize compactness? What about competition – should maps be drawn to encourage political competition?. Should current politicians have the districts drawn around their residences, or should they be drawn 'incumbent blind?' And, what are the important communities of…
Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission announces 9 members
The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, a shadow panel formed to advise and potentially propose alternatives to this year's redistricting process in the Indiana General Assembly, has announced a group of nine Hoosiers who will be its members. The commission plans a series of virtual meetings in February and early March, organized by congressional district, to discuss issues such as the criteria should drive the redistricting process and to identify "communities of interests" that could form the basis for drawing congressional and legislative district lines. “Almost three hundred Hoosiers applied for a seat on the ICRC so it wasn’t easy narrowing…