Gerrymander Gazette: Howdy y hola edition

Trainings and Events

• The Maryland Legislative Redistricting Advisory Commission will kick off its public tour on September 20th. You can find the dates here and details on how to testify at upcoming meetings here. Please note that this Commission is different from the Citizens Redistricting Commission established by Governor Hogan.
• Texas Redistricting: Record video testimony & make sure our communities are no longer cut off, shut out, and divided from having the resources and representation we need the next 10 years! Right now, Texas voters and residents are fighting on all fronts – from anti-voter bills passing through legislative committee hearings in the dead of night without any public input, to the closed-door process of legislators drawing gerrymandered maps when redistricting. Now we have the opportunity to bust the door wide open and truly have a fair and open redistricting process that includes the public. According to MALDEF, in every redistricting cycle beginning in the 1970’s Texas has been found to have discriminated against Latino voters by either a federal court or the US Department of Justice. As a result, our communities have not obtained the resources and representation we need in the halls of democracy in the Texas Capitol or our local government entities. Learn more about the Every Texan campaign here and view our video testimonial guidelines here.
• Howdy y hola! Sign up for a 30-minute call with Mi Familia Vota-Houston Coordinator, MARLA LOPEZ, to draw your community in Harris County, Texas! In 2021, ALL maps including county commissioner precincts will be redrawn – local government is the first line of implementing and supporting good policy that helps our communities. The process of redrawing our maps must center on the issues and community voices that are experiencing them firsthand. Join us to make sure your community is on the map and will be represented fairly for the next 10 years in Harris County! Sign up here. NOTE: The Unity Maps Campaign is solely focused on local Harris County. For information about testifying at the Texas legislature regarding state and congressional maps, please reach out at MARLAL@MIFAMILIAVOTA.ORG.
• Ohio Voted to End Gerrymandering — Let’s Get To Work! Join Fair Districts Ohio for the last of several regional forums designed to inform about Redistricting in Ohio in 2021: 9/21 Cincinnati and Dayton Areas (Southwest Ohio), Tuesday, 7pm ET, Jesse Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer to moderate. 
• New congressional and state legislative voting districts will be drawn in North Carolina this year. Learn what you can do to push back against gerrymandering and speak out for fair maps! Join Common Cause North Carolina for an engaging, empowering and interactive virtual workshop for the Hickory area on Wednesday, September 22 at 6:00 pm ET. Learn more on Facebook here and register here.
• League of Women Voters Upcoming Redistricting Events: Right now, maps are being drawn that will determine our political representation for the next decade. NOW is the time to ensure our communities are fairly represented for the next 10 years! Join us in empowering our communities to get involved:
  • Through a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” on September 24th;
  • #OurMapsOurVoices Twitter Town Hall on September 29th; and
  • A virtual panel on September 30th. RSVP here.
• Looking for a more creative way to spread awareness about fair maps? Submit a piece of visual art today! Common Cause is uplifting youth voices in democracy through “My Voice, My Art, Our Cause” an artivism contest centering young creatives. Artivism bridges the creative power of art with the strategic design of activism to bring forth social transformation. The contest is open to young artivists ages 14-28 and submissions will be accepted through September 30, 2021. Contest winners will receive up to $1,500 in cash prizes and customized swag items featuring their artwork. Visit www.commoncause.org/artivism for the contest rules and submission form!      

Resources and Announcements

• Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Winners of Mapping Competition: The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) announced the winners of its redistricting mapping competition for State House of Representatives, State Senate, and Congress. The winning maps will be used as the standard by which to judge the maps drawn by the Indiana General Assembly and will be a valuable tool to hold legislators accountable for the mapping decisions they make. Read our press release here and see the winning U.S. House, Indiana Senate, and Indiana House maps.

• NCAI Policy Research Center Releases Series of Reports on 2020 Census Data: The NCAI Policy Research Center created a series of reports for Tribal Nations on the results of the 2020 Census as reported in the recently released P.L.94-171 Redistricting Data file. The first report is a first look at the national and state 2020 Census American Indian and Alaska Native population counts (released 8/13/2021). The second report is a summary of data for all tribal geographies (lands) in each NCAI Region (released 9/14/2021). The third is a series of reports on the individual tribal land data in each NCAI Region (NEW today). View all of the reports here.

News

• National 
  • Delayed maps upend midterm campaigns. Axios. September 19, 2021.
  • New redistricting commissions splinter along partisan lines. Associated Press. September 18, 2021.
  • Map proposals show how parties hope to gain from new congressional boundaries. Washington Post. September 17, 2021.
• Louisiana: Louisiana political districts will have to undergo drastic changes, legislative staff says. Louisiana Illuminator. September 19, 2021.
• Maine: Parties disagree over Maine redistricting ahead of deadline. Associated Press. September 17, 2021.
• Maryland: Maryland redistricting groups drawing new congressional maps. The Southern Maryland Chronicle. September 19, 2021.
• Michigan:  Facing tight timeline, voter-led Michigan redistricting commission on steep learning curve. Detroit Free Press. September 17, 2021.
• North Carolina: Voters at NC redistricting forum ask legislators to end gerrymandering. Burlington Times-News. September 17, 2021.
• Oregon: Oregon Democrats unveil their redistricting proposal, setting up partisan clash in Salem. OPB news. September 17, 2021. 
• South Carolina: SC Senate sets criteria; asks for public redistricting maps. Associated Press. September 18, 2021.
• Tennessee: Tennessee Senate leader forms redistricting committee. Associated Press. September 18, 2021.
• Texas: In a changing Texas, Republicans will begin redistricting with more freedom to draw their maps. Texas Tribune. September 17, 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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