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GARY, IN — Late last week, Gary, Ind. resident Barbara Bolling-Williams — a long-time voting rights advocate — came to a settlement with Gary, Indiana’s Common Council in the lawsuit over the Council’s failure to redistrict. The court ruled that the old maps the Common Council planned to use were malapportioned and, as such, found the current redistricting plan unconstitutional.

GARY, IN — Today, Gary, Ind. resident Barbara Bolling-Williams — a long-time voting rights advocate — filed a federal lawsuit against the city’s Common Council for failing to draw new maps before the Dec. 31, 2022 redistricting deadline. 

“The Indiana Legislature’s recent decision to ban abortion has stripped away the fundamental rights of millions, taken our state backwards on reproductive freedom and shown why we must update our current redistricting system."

"We are disappointed but not surprised that the leadership of the City County Council needlessly rushed redistricting and voted on new districts without allowing enough time for public input."

Today, three organizations who have long worked to protect voting rights in Indianapolis called on the Indianapolis Marion County City County Council to delay a vote on new district maps until additional meetings are held in each township.

Today, Common Cause Indiana released a draft map of new Indianapolis Marion County City County Council districts drawn by its multi-partisan Indianapolis Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) and urged the Council to provide additional opportunity for public comment before finalizing the new map.  The ICRC consists of nine Indianapolis voters:  three Republicans, three Democrats and three individuals who are neither Republican nor Democrat.  Last week, the ICRC spent Tuesday and Wednesday evening online with a mapping expert working to develop a draft map.  It was sent to members of the City Council’s Rules and Public Policy Committee today with the request that it be considered along with the redistricting proposal developed by an outside law firm at the behest of the Council majority.