This Comment discusses how the Arizona State Legislature majority reached its decision to uphold independent redistricting commissions, addresses issues that several of the dissenters raised, and analyzes how the decision will impact partisan gerrymandering and future redistricting reform. Part I briefly overviews reapportionment, gerrymandering, and redistricting reform. Finally, Part III explores potential legal and policy ramifications of the decision on the future of partisan gerrymandering and redistricting reform.
Election Law Commons. Advanced Search. University of Florida. In Maryland in , Democrats aimed in the opposite direction. After Democrats controlled Texas redistricting in the s, Republicans took charge in The redistricting battles were so fierce that Democratic legislators actually fled to Oklahoma and New Mexico in an attempt to prevent the legislature from meeting to draw lines.
The Democrats hid out in Oklahoma in a Holiday Inn, under assumed names. Until now, redistricting has not been one of them. When the lines were ultimately drawn, they moved about , Latino voters out of one district in order to protect an incumbent who was beginning to lose the support of the Latino population. Latinos had recently become the majority of the eligible population in the district, when they were replaced by voters more likely to support the incumbent.
In , Texas had another opportunity to redraw district lines. The legislature effectively did the same thing, in the same place, to the same Latino voters. In , race riots in Los Angeles took a heavy financial toll on businesses in many neighborhoods, including the area known as Koreatown. The redistricting map, it appeared, had fractured Koreatown — an area barely over one square mile — into four City Council districts and five state Assembly districts.
As a result, no legislator felt responsible to the Asian-American community. Thus emerged the gerrymander pronounced in modern times with a soft g, like Jerry. But this was not even the first partisan gerrymander, as there are examples in the colonial period. Redistricting based on the decennial census is required to honor that principle.
But this is also not a new problem in American politics, although I think it is one that may be more meaningful now than in the past because gerrymandering has arguably become easier in recent years because of other trends in American elections, such as a drop in ticket-splitting, the erosion of advantages for incumbents and other factors.
In states that allow statewide ballot issues, reformers can have success working to get voters to approve less partisan redistricting systems. There also are opportunities for regular citizens to serve on redistricting commissions, and those who are concerned about redistricting should share those concerns with their elected officials.
Doing this can at least give people the chance to think about how they might like districts to be drawn and to consider the real-life choices that mapmakers face. Managing Editor University Communications. September 21, Tim Robinson , timrobinson virginia. UVA Today caught up with Kondik to learn more about the controversial topic of redistricting.
Mike Leavitt and a Deseret News managing editor. E-mail: lwebb exoro. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as minority leader. E-mail: frankp xmission. Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Print Subscriptions. Deseret News homepage. Filed under: Opinion. Redistricting a highly political, controversial process. Share this story Share this on Facebook Share this on Twitter Share All sharing options Share All sharing options for: Redistricting a highly political, controversial process.
Reddit Pocket Email Linkedin. This once-a-decade procedure always creates political heat and raises some questions: The citizens initiative to create an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission failed to get on the ballot.
What individuals and parties are likely to be winners and losers in redistricting? Sign up for the newsletter Morning Edition Start your day with the top stories you missed while you were sleeping. Thanks for signing up!
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