{"id":516,"date":"2019-02-14T16:19:22","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T16:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/north-carolina\/articles\/nc-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-end-gerrymandering\/"},"modified":"2019-02-14T16:19:22","modified_gmt":"2019-02-14T16:19:22","slug":"nc-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-end-gerrymandering","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.commoncause.org\/north-carolina\/articles\/nc-lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-end-gerrymandering\/","title":{"rendered":"NC lawmakers introduce bipartisan bill to end gerrymandering"},"template":"","class_list":["post-516","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-blog-post"],"acf":{"details":{"summary":"","featured_image":null,"article_type":162,"authors":["{\"site_id\":\"1\",\"post_type\":\"person\",\"post_id\":7872}"],"related_issues":[62,417],"related_work":false,"location":null},"sidebar":{"helper_enable_sidebar":false,"helper_media_contact":{"heading":"Media Contact","manually_enter_person":false,"person":null,"name":"","role":"","phone":"","email":""},"helper_links_downloads":{"heading":"Links & Downloads","links":null}},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_video","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_video":{"video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4kEcaEVOnhs","caption":""}},{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"RALEIGH \u2013 State lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled a bipartisan proposal\u00a0to take party politics out of the way North Carolina\u2019s voting maps are drawn.\r\n\r\nInstead of lawmakers crafting their own districts for partisan advantage,\u00a0House Bill 69<\/a>\u00a0would have an 11-member citizens commission draw maps free from partisan politics, with robust public input and full transparency. The districts would then be presented to the legislature for an up or down vote. The bill would take effect for the next redistricting cycle in 2021.\r\n\r\nThe bill\u2019s primary sponsors are\u00a0Reps. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson), Robert Reives (D-Chatham, Durham), Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) and Brian Turner (D-Buncombe).\r\n\r\nMcGrady noted that his fellow Republicans advocated for redistricting reform when they were in the legislative minority prior to 2011, and he urged his GOP colleagues to help pass reform now that they hold both chambers of the NC General Assembly.\r\n\r\n\u201cSupporting redistricting reform was right when we were in the minority, and it\u2019s still right now,\u201d Rep. McGrady said. \u201cWe are here to serve the people of North Carolina and we must make sure they can have full confidence in the integrity and fairness of our elections.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThis is something that should be done regardless of which party is in power,\u201d Rep. Hardister said. \u201cWe always need to find ways to make government better. This would help to make that happen.\u201d\r\n\r\nUnder North Carolina\u2019s longstanding system, the party that controls the legislature also controls redistricting. For decades, voting maps have been created by politicians behind closed doors with the aim of heavily favoring their own party.\u00a0The result has been gerrymandered voting districts that deprive voters of a voice in their elections.\r\n\r\nThe proposal introduced Wednesday would create a new redistricting process that puts voters ahead of partisan politics.\r\n\r\n\u201cThis bill will ensure that all North Carolina voters have a voice in choosing their representatives,\u201d Rep. Reives said. \u201cIt will increase public confidence in our government and strengthen our democracy.\u201d\r\n\r\n\u201cThis commission will re-establish people\u2019s confidence in the fairness of our elections and will restore the voice to those who were silenced over the years by the gerrymandering done by both parties,\u201d Rep. Turner said. \u201cThis change is long past due and I am excited to be a part of this important legislation.\u201d\r\n\r\nJane Pinsky, director of the nonpartisan NC Coalition for Lobbying & Government Reform, said the time has arrived to enact a fair and transparent redistricting process.\r\n\r\n\u201cNorth Carolinians are tired of the endless controversy and endless lawsuits around redistricting and they are saying enough is enough. It\u2019s time to finally end gerrymandering,\u201d Pinsky said.\r\n\r\nBob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina, applauded the bipartisan group of lawmakers for championing redistricting reform.\r\n\r\n\u201cGerrymandering undermines the fundamental principles of American democracy by depriving voters of a voice in who represents them,\u201d Phillips said. \u201cThis bill is a big step forward in respecting the rights of North Carolina citizens.\u201d\r\n\r\nA solid majority of North Carolinians want impartial redistricting, as shown by a survey conducted in 2018 by Public Policy Polling. That poll found 59 percent of voters in favor of making the map-drawing process nonpartisan, with just 15 percent opposed to reform.\r\n\r\nOver 300 locally elected leaders from 140 town and cities across North Carolina have signed a petition calling on the legislature to enact nonpartisan redistricting. And more than 100 North Carolina business leaders have joined the call for an end to gerrymandering.\r\n\r\nFact sheet \u2013 House Bill 69:<\/strong>\r\n