Indiana Senator wants public redistricting forums, newspapers create redistricting reform campaign

Indiana Senate President Pro Tem David Long wants to hold at least three public meetings around the state after the proposed district maps are prepared.

“We want to try to have three plus meetings around the regions — and more than that, hopefully — where we can sit down with the public and have input from them on these issues,” he said.

Long expects the redistricting process for the nine congressional and 150 state legislative districts can begin after mid-February – the expected release date for the 2010 Census data – and completed by the beginning of March.

Friday, January 28 the Indianapolis Star’s Editorial Board, along with 15 other state newspapers, launched a campaign demanding lawmakers create districts maps that “are as compact as possible, keep communities of common interests together and promote competition where possible.”

Three common examples of gerrymandering the coalition is working against are incumbent, partisan and racial gerrymandering.

However, computer advancements over the past decade have made drawing district maps easier, allowing anyone to become a part of the map-making process. A game can be found at www.redistrictinggame.org. People looking for a more realistic and meaningful experience can visit www.publicmapping.org.

Opinions
Both political parties want easy victories – Indianapolis Star
Redistricting – Evansville Courier Press
Fair election demands fair lines on the map – The Herald Bulletin