Response from League of Women Voters Maryland and Common Cause Maryland on Governor Hogan’s Commission to Study Redistricting Reform

    Media Contact
  • Jennifer Bevan Dangel

Annapolis – Today Governor Hogan announced the appointment of a study commission to look at options for redistricting reform in Maryland. This action follows up on his statement in February’s State of the State, where he expressed his support for an independent commission to draw Congressional and Legislative district lines. Both the League of Women Voters of Maryland and Common Cause Maryland are pleased to have representatives serving on the study commission.

Nancy Soreng, Co-President of the League of Women Voters of Maryland, said “Redistricting reform has been a priority for the League for over 30 years. We are hopeful that having the power of the administration behind these efforts will move reform forward. During the last legislative session there were numerous proposals for establishing a more transparent commission process. We thank those legislators for their leadership and hope those bills, along with reforms that have been adopted in other states, can provide guidance for the Commission to study.”

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Executive Director of Common Cause Maryland, said “Voters are ready for the return of common sense rules to our political system.  Maryland’s current districts defy that common sense – they sprawl across the state, slicing and dicing communities and neighborhoods, discouraging civic engagement in our democracy. This commission is the first step toward a more open, transparent, and impartial process.”

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Common Cause Maryland and the League of Women Voters of Maryland serve on the steering committee of the Tame the Gerrymander coalition.

More information:
The Tame the Gerrymander Coalition can be followed on Facebook or Twitter. Additional information available online at md.commoncause.org or lwvmd.org.

Contact:
Nancy Soreng, League of Women Voters of Maryland
301-642-5479, nsoreng@comcast.net

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Common Cause Maryland
410-303-7954, jbd@commoncause.org