Background and procedural information
Senate Bill 346 and House Bill 84 would create an independent redistricting committee to draw district maps after each census. It is currently in committee.

Under the proposed legislation, are single-member districts a requirement or otherwise implied?
No. Districts must be equal in size, but there is no requirement that each district have only one representative.

Does the proposed legislation provide for Voting Rights Act compliance (e.g. can the commission use voter history information)?
Probably. The legislation allows the use of information on self-identified communities and relevant demographic information, but does not allow for the use of any political information.

Under the proposed legislation, how is the commission formed?
The commission is comprised of five members. The Majority Leader of the Senate, Minority Leader of the Senate, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives each appoint one member. The fifth member must be appointed by a majority of at lease three of the four appointed members.

Under the proposed legislation, are competitive districts favored?
Neutral.*

Under the proposed legislation, can members of the public submit plans?
No, there is no mechanism that allows the public to submit plans. The commission must hold at least three public hearings across the state, however, in which the public can give their input.

Does the proposed legislation allow for mid-decade redistricting?
No. Redistricting may only be done once, the year after the census.

*Note: A proposal may be neutral on whether or not to favor competitive districts for a number of reasons, including that such a requirement may be thought to conflict with other criteria, potentially create other legal issues, or is assumed to flow from the new process itself -- or it might merely not be a priority for the legislative sponsors. FairVote believes that some form of proportional voting is needed to ensure maximum competitiveness for each seat and to ensure meaningful choices for all voters.

 

November 2nd 2000
Keep an Eye on the Battle for State Legislatures
MoJo Wire

Rob Richie and Steven Hill point out how vital party control of state legislatures can be, illustrating how taking control of state governments may mean redrawing of congressional boundaries.

October 30th 2000
Most Races for Congress Over Before They Start
Reutters

With money and redistricting on their side, incumbents are increasingly entrenched in the United States House of Representatives.

November 3rd 1999
No Contest, No Choice
USA Today

This article discusses how parties undermine democratic participation to hold onto their seats by gerrymandering and encouraging low voter turnout.

November 2nd 1999
Uncontested Contests

Many incumbents now run in uncontested elections as a result of redistricting, leaving many people behind without a voice to be heard.

February 16th 1998
The Voters Decide Their Representation

FairVote's John Anderson and Rob Richie argue that proportional representation can eliminate the practice of "racial gerrymandering" and corrupt redistricting practices.

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