I’m starting a new blog on Redistricting in general and my work on compactness based redistricting in specific. This is a crosspost of a redistricting news recap over there.
Illinois, Prison Gerrymandering, Party vs Party…
Illinois
03-08, Rose Report, 03-19 Progress Illinois blog, 03-21 OpEd citing League of Women Voters efforts and IL Fair Map (I like that they have an ordered list of critera, and it is the same as mine.)
Prison Gerrymandering
03-09 Minnesota takes note of prison based gerrymandering
Party vs Party
03-15 AP Article parties wrangle to controle state legislatures and thus redistricting.
03-16, Huffington Post, DLCC to sepend $20e6 on state legislature races with eye toward redistricting.
In this 03-04 Wall Street Journal OpEd, Karl Rove wants to prove the supremacy of the Republican party by gerrymandering Democrats out of seats. (Noted 03-16 at the Rose Report)
03-19 WSJ OpEd seeks “permanent benefit” from redistricting power grab, no shame, greed is good:
“While the election of 1994 did signal a political realignment, none of that alignment translated into the much more permanent benefit that redistricting could provide in 2010 if the GOP takes over state legislatures across the country.” — Michael Solon, former advisor to Sen. McConnel (R-KY)
I think it is crazy that Pennsylvania could see a partisan GOP gerrymandering depending on the outcome of the Governor and State House Races. Pennsylvania hasn’t voted for the GOP Presidential Candidate in over 20 years. Crazy!
Likewise I really hope Bill White wins in Texas that way Democrats can have a say. Or a few state House seats. Or both! I hope the national mood shifts after the health care debate fades.
No such thing. Look how the last Pennsylvania gerrymander turned out.
mainly that communities of interest rarely follow compact laws. Under many of your maps, Im sure we’d lose several minority legislators.