Gerrymander Gazette: The Countdown Begins Edition

The Census Bureau just announced that it will make redistricting data available to the states this Thursday. Because it will be released in a “legacy” format that requires some processing, states could take between a few days and a couple of weeks to actually begin using it to draw districts. That said, it’s officially go time! See how activists across the country are preparing.

Trainings and Events

• Florida Redistricting: Join Equal Ground on Thursday July 28th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM ET for the Partnership Organization Redistricting Staff/Super Volunteer Training, a live training on Florida’s redistricting process. Click here to register. For more information about Equal Ground and On-Demand Training around Florida’s redistricting process visit this link.
• Join Colorado Common Cause as we walk you through the ins and outs of community redistricting, how to view and evaluate the preliminary maps, and how to provide your feedback to the commissions. These Zoom sessions will be held weekly on Mondays at 7pm and Thursdays at noon through the end of August. So, find your closest hearing on the Commission Hearing Schedule and choose the session that works best for you! RSVP to receive the call-in details. Sessions will be held on July 29 at noon MT, August 2 at 7:00 pm MT, August 5 at noon MT, August 9 at 7:00 pm MT, August 12 at noon MT, August 16 at 7:00 pm MT, August 19 at noon MT, and August 23 at 7:00 pm MT.
• Mapping Mondays and Testimony Thursdays with Fair Count in Georgia! Come join us on Mondays and Thursdays at 7pm ET to learn about redistricting and how to make sure your voice is heard in the redistricting process! On Mondays we will focus on drawing community maps and on Thursdays we will help you build out testimony for redistricting public hearings. Register for Mapping Mondays here and Testimony Thursdays here.
• Fair Districts Ohio is hosting a webinar “Redistricting: Prepping for Public Hearings” on August 3 at 7:00pm. Register here. 
• The New Mexico Citizen Redistricting Committee invites you to participate in the redistricting process. They will hold seven meetings from August 2 to August 12, open to the public. Find meeting dates, times, and details here. 
• The Ohio Council of Churches is hosting a webinar “Bring the Power Back to the People: Map Drawing and Redistricting Reform” on August 10 at 7:00pm. Learn more here. 
• Fair Districts Ohio is hosting “Drawing the Lines: A Forum on Community Mapping in Northeast Ohio” on August 10 at 7:00pm. Register here.
• In 2011, Wisconsin state legislative and congressional districts fell victim to one of the most partisan gerrymanders of any state in the nation. Can we adopt a redistricting process that is non-partisan, fair, and puts voters before politicians? And what does the redistricting process, now underway, look like? Common Cause Wisconsin invites you to a statewide webinar on Aug 17, 2021 at 06:00 PM Central Time that features leading state legislative reform leaders, policy and legal experts and you — for a lively 90 minutes of interesting discussion and your questions. Free and open to the public. Register here.

News

• National: Census Bureau Data Will Help Guide States Redistricting. WCCS. July 25, 2021.
• California: 
  • California Citizens Redistricting Commission petition for extended deadline. The Desert Review. July 14 2021.
  • Santa Barabara Judge Rejects COLAB’s Redistricting Lawsuit as ‘Patently Absurd’.Santa Barbara Independent. July 21, 2021.
  • For Park Villiage’s Asian Residents, Redistricting Pits Neighborhood Against Identity. Voice of San Diego, July 21, 2021.
  • Central Coast cities working on city council redistricting, others discussing moving to district-based elections. KEYT. July 26, 2021.
• Florida: Census data delays threaten to tighten Florida redistricting timetable. Bay News. July 22, 2021.
• Hawaii: The deadline for the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission to produce redistricting maps was extended. Proposed legislative and congressional maps are to be publicly available by January 8, 2022 and final maps are to be filed February 27, 2022. Read the court’s order here.
• Indiana: 
  • Legislators Invite Public To Statewide Redistricting Meetings. Times Union. July 23, 2021.
  • 9 hearings in 3 days: Legislative leaders announce tight schedule of redistricting hearings. Washington Times Herald. July 25, 2021.
• Kansas: Kansas groups call for ‘transparency’, inclusion in redistricting process. KSNT. July 21, 2021.
• Maine: New Timeline Takes Maine Redistricting Process Into the Fall. US News. July 21, 2021
• Montana: Political district-drawing commission finalizes its sideboards. MTFP. July 21, 2021. 
• New Jersey: Here’s How a Town’s Population Can Be Different For Congressional and Legislative Redistricting. New Jersey Globe. July 22, 2021.
• New York: 
  • State commission holds first public hearing on redistricting. WBFO. July 22, 2021.
  • Lawmakers push redistricting hearing participation. Hudson Valley 360. July 22, 2021.
• Ohio: Census data coming soon, feds reiterate to Ohio officials eying redistricting deadlines. Cleveland Local News. July 26, 2021.
• Pennsylvania: 
  • Pennsylvania lawmakers start redistricting process with watchdogs on alert. WKBN. July 22, 2021.
  • Redistricting process about to get underway. Observer-Reporter. July 24, 2021.
• Texas: 
  • Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) of Austin Hosts Public Forums. AustinTexas.gov. July 21, 2021. 
  • City of Fort Worth: Learn How To Create Your Own Redistricting Map. Patch, July 21, 2021.
• Utah: State lawmakers seek public input for redistricting. St. George News. July 25, 2021.
• Virginia: 
  • Redistricting Commission Holds Northern Virginia Hearing on Tuesday. Loudoun Now. July 26, 2021.
  • Commission has problems. Martinsville Bulletin. July 25, 2021.
• West Virginia: Public hearings on West Virginia redistricting to begin Tuesday. The State Journal. July 25, 2021.

Job Announcements

• Fair Districts Ohio is seeking a GIS Technology Liaison who can to help facilitate the Ohio Redistricting Competition by providing technical assistance to GIS related technologies. Learn more here.
• Equal Ground (FL) is hiring for their Redistricting Fellowship Program! This is a remote position where Fellows would be responsible for executing an individualized redistricting plan and goals by the completion of the fellowship, educating your region on the redistricting process and intervention points, and serving as a redistricting process monitor via pre-recorded and live trainings. Multiple positions are available. To apply click here!
• The Redistricting Data Hub is currently looking for a full-time training coordinator to support nonpartisan redistricting efforts across the country this cycle. Learn more here.
• The City of Brentwood in Contra Costa County (CA) is accepting applications until August 2 for its hybrid redistricting commission. Apply here. 
• The County of Mendocino (CA) is seeking applicants for its Community-Based Advisory Redistricting Commission. Applications are due August 6. Apply here.

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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