Democrats introduce legislation to end gerrymandering

[MisterChester]

Democrats introduce bill to end gerrymandering

Democrats have introduced legislation that will end gerrymandering. Has almost 20 co-sponsors, and some republicans might be willing to get on board. While I agree with the idea, how they want to do it I do not agree with. It'll be up to multi-party committees and commissioners to decide that the districts have no conflicts of interest and comply with voters rights laws. The only fair way to get rid of gerrymandering IMO is to repeal any law that dictates racially driven districts, and draw every single district according to a mathematical formula. My personal favorite is the shortest split-line method. That way no party, democrat or republican, can influence representation in either favor.

I also wonder why the democrats wait until now to introduce this? They could have done this when they had a majority years ago. Guess they didn't want to lose power either?

 

[EvilElmo]

I also wonder why the democrats wait until now to introduce this? They could have done this when they had a majority years ago. Guess they didn't want to lose power either?

The same reason they didn't push through immigration changes when they held both houses of Congress - because it wasn't politically beneficial to do it at that time.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

it borders on breath-taking to see the bipartisanship that blooms like a big beautiful flower anytime that issues like gerrymandering, term limits, and campaign finance reform are seriously brought up.

 

[steveh_131]

it boarders on breath-taking to see the bipartisanship that blooms like a big beautiful flower anytime that issues like gerrymandering, term limits, and campaign finance reform are seriously brought up.

I like to imagine the two parties running towards each other in slow motion in a flower-covered field, waiting to embrace and declare their undying love for each other.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I like to imagine the two parties running towards each other in slow motion in a flower-covered field, waiting to embrace and declare their undying love for each other.

But it usually ends up like any other one-night stand, with someone quietly sneaking out the next morning with their panties in their purse, with every intention to pretend that the whole thing never happened.

 

[DRob]

Democrats introduce bill to end gerrymandering
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I also wonder why the democrats wait until now to introduce this? They could have done this when they had a majority years ago. Guess they didn't want to lose power either?

That's easy. They are not against gerrymandering per se. Democrats are only against gerrymandering which doesn't give them an advantage............Just like the Republicans.

 

[HoughMade]

So the bill would take power away from state legislatures and require an "independent multi-party" commission (ignoring the Constitutional problem...which are many),
I wonder how many state legislatures are controlled by Republicans.

Well, Republicans hold the governnorship and both houses in about 23 or 24 states. The Dems have only 7. Out of the 98 partisan state legislative chambers, the Republicans hold 68.

Hmmm I wonder why Democrats want to take power away from the state legislatures.

 

[chipbennett]

I am firmly opposed, on principle, to gerrymandering - regardless of which party benefits from it. There absolutely should be some requirement/test for contiguousness/geometric squareness/regularity of districts. I just don't know how to define it well enough to be practical.

 

[HoughMade]

I am firmly opposed, on principle, to gerrymandering - regardless of which party benefits from it. There absolutely should be some requirement/test for contiguousness/geometric squareness/regularity of districts. I just don't know how to define it well enough to be practical.

The courts agree with you completely (as do I)....and have never come up with an effective legal test which is enforceable and cures the problem.

 

[Lowe0]

We have computers capable of crunching the numbers for us without human intervention in the process. Why are we still relying on people for this?

 

[edporch]

Even if done with honesty, drawing up congressional districts is not easy with regard to people being represented properly.

For example, I grew up in the Jasper County in the NW Indiana.

To the north is Lake County which has entirely different interests than Agriculturally centered jasper County.
Plus Lake County has tons more population.

When the Democrats drew up the districts in 2000, they lumped Jasper County into the same district as Lake County.

Every election, Pete Visclosky got elected because of the overwhelming population of Lake County.
He catered to Lake County's interests.

In every election, if Lake County was taken out of the equation, he would've lost.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

The bill, with 19 original co-sponsors, would require each state to establish an independent, multi-party commission tasked with redrawing the state's congressional maps.

Is this even the purview of the feds? I'd have to refresh my memory but doesn't the Constitution only require that the rep represent a certain number of citizens and leave the 'how' up to the states?

I my memory does serve me...let's not open the gate even wider for the feds, please.

 

[MisterChester]

I am firmly opposed, on principle, to gerrymandering - regardless of which party benefits from it. There absolutely should be some requirement/test for contiguousness/geometric squareness/regularity of districts. I just don't know how to define it well enough to be practical.

RangeVoting.org - Splitline districtings of all 50 states + DC + PR

This is I think the best option. Shortest split line algorithm. Here is what Indiana would look like:

 

[D-Ric902]

We have computers capable of crunching the numbers for us without human intervention in the process. Why are we still relying on people for this?

so they can manufacture an advantage.

only the minority party rages against gerrymandering and electoral college

 

[MisterChester]

so they can manufacture an advantage.

only the minority party rages against gerrymandering and electoral college

Really? I hardly see any Republicans complain about the electoral college. Even after Obama's victories. And they didn't complain about gerrymandering when the dems were in control years ago.

 

[MisterChester]

So the bill would take power away from state legislatures and require an "independent multi-party" commission (ignoring the Constitutional problem...which are many),
I wonder how many state legislatures are controlled by Republicans.

Well, Republicans hold the governnorship and both houses in about 23 or 24 states. The Dems have only 7. Out of the 98 partisan state legislative chambers, the Republicans hold 68.

Hmmm I wonder why Democrats want to take power away from the state legislatures.

Theoretically it would be constitutional if a state decided its district boundaries by giving a map to a 5 year old and telling them to draw X amount of lines. That, I believe, is a valid problem.

 

[HoughMade]

Theoretically it would be constitutional if a state decided its district boundaries by giving a map to a 5 year old and telling them to draw X amount of lines. That, I believe, is a valid problem.

Who said it wasn't a problem?

 

[MisterChester]

Who said it wasn't a problem?

I'm just using the same terminology you did (the constitutional problem)

 

[D-Ric902]

And they didn't complain about gerrymandering when the dems were in control years ago.

Sure they did.
(On the state level, GOP hasn't lost a national election due to the electoral college so that kind of slants the numbers)

then they were accused of wanting to suppress the minority vote, disenfranchisement, racism.

then they shut up

works every time