Gerrymander Gazette: Curious Critique Edition

Trainings and Events

• Join Fair Districts Ohio for an upcoming event about the winners of our congressional redistricting contest. Fair Districts Congressional Map Winners: Updates Based on Public Input, Weds, 10/20, Noon ET. 1st place map: bit.ly/OhioMapO; 2nd place map: bit.ly/OhioMapA;  3rd place map: bit.ly/OhioMapH
• Join the Youth Redistricting Panel on Monday, October 25 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET! Hosted by CHARGE partners, this seminar offers students in high school and college the opportunity to hear from their peers on the importance of redistricting and how they can get involved. If you are interested in learning how you can be an advocate for your community, this is the panel for you. Register here.
• Join Marquette University Law School’s On the Issues series on October 26 at 12:15 pm CT as we host Common Cause Wisconsin Executive Director Jay Heck and Common Sense Wisconsin Executive Director Joe Handrick. We will discuss what Wisconsin’s new redistricting maps could look like, and whether that could impact the balance of power in Madison and the outcomes of Wisconsin’s congressional races. The forum will also cover voting rights and election integrity. Register here.

Resources and Announcements

• The interactive “Redistricting & You” comparison maps are now available in Massachusetts, in partnership between the CUNY Graduate Center and the Drawing Democracy Coalition. This website displays the congressional and state legislative Unity Map proposals as well as State Senate and House districts recently proposed by the Massachusetts legislature. We compared these plans with current district lines using detailed demographic data and redistricting metrics for each plan and map overlays showing predominant race/Hispanic origin patterns by block group, 2020 voting patterns, and counties, towns, and cities to see which are split by proposed districts.
• On October 14, the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission adopted a congressional (alternate) plan for Hawaii’s two federal House seats. The process will now move to public hearings, which have yet to be scheduled. View the map here.
• The Students Learn, Students Vote Coalition has launched a website that serves as a getting started process guide for college campuses and students who want to get involved in redistricting.

News

• 🤨October’s oddest defense of politician-led redistricting goes to Nebraska State Sen. Justin Wayne: “I think an independent commission cannot truly be independent if you’re going to engage the community because the community, by themselves, are not independent. They have a voice; they have a belief; they think certain things should be one way or the other. And, so, you’re still back to the same thing, in my opinion.”😕
• Alabama: Governor calls special session over redistricting. WBRC. October 14, 2021.
• Arkansas: Arkansas governor OKs House map splitting Little Rock area. Associated Press. October 13, 2021.
• Colorado: Colorado secretary of state pursues redistricting complaint against accused GOP lobbyists. Colorado Newsline. October 14, 2021.
• Hawaii: New Hawaii Election Districts Are Drawing Fire. Honolulu Civil Beat. October 14, 2021.
• Illinois: Lawsuit: New state legislative map undermines Black voters. Associated Press. October 16, 2021.
• Louisiana: Analysis: Lawmakers travel Louisiana to talk redistricting. Associated Press. October 17, 2021.
• Michigan: Local leaders gear up to urge redistricting commission to keep communities intact. Detroit Free Press. October 14, 2021.
• New Mexico: Advisory panel endorses redistricting maps for New Mexico. Associated Press. October 15, 2021.
• Texas: Lawmakers send to Gov. Greg Abbott new political maps that would further solidify the GOP’s grip on the Texas Legislature. October 15, 2021.
• Virginia: Virginia redistricting commission presents initial congressional map drafts. WSLS. October 14, 2021.

This newsletter has been produced by Common Cause and compiled by Dan Vicuna. Subscribe to the Gerrymander Gazette here. For more information or to pass along news, contact Dan Vicuna.

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