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Thursday, April 14, 2011

Ind. Gov't. - "For the average citizen, blink and this could be over"

That is a quote from The Indy Star's Mary Beth Schneider today, reporting on yesterday's House Elections Committee meeting yesterday. More from the long story:

Voters across Indiana are just learning how the proposed new congressional and legislative maps -- unveiled Monday by Republicans and expected to be approved with few or no changes by Senate and House committees this week -- are turning their political identities upside down. * * *

If anyone thinks voters don't care where the lines are drawn, just listen to Robin Olds.

"I've been waiting 10 years for this day," she told the House Elections Committee on Wednesday as lawmakers gave the public its first chance to weigh in on the proposed maps.

Olds, a Democrat who lives on the Far Westside, was among the handful of Marion County voters who in 2001 -- the last time new district maps were drawn -- were put into the 4th Congressional District, which rambles from White County in the north to Lawrence County in the south. Only a smidgen of Marion County was part of the district.

"I felt like I was a forgotten voter," she said.

She thinks that she's a "victim" of redistricting once again. Her home would be in the 5th District, and she expects to be overlooked once again in a district that will be dominated by Hamilton County.

She and others who testified before both the House and Senate election committees urged lawmakers to give the public more time to understand the impact of the new boundaries before lawmakers vote on them.

"For the average citizen, blink and this could be over," said Julia Vaughn, one of the organizers of a group that would like to see the map-drawing eventually taken out of the hands of politicians and given instead to a non-partisan commission.

In fact, the proposed maps have been made public for only two days, but the process is almost over. The Senate committee will vote on them today, and the House committee either today, after it reviews the maps proposed by Democrats, or Friday. The full House and Senate will vote on the maps by April 29, the last day of the session.

[More] A Fort Wayne Journal Gazette editorial today, headed "Don't Rush Crucial Maps," concludes:
The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission, a coalition that includes AARP Indiana, Common Cause/Indiana and the League of Women Voters of Indiana, has been serving as a watchdog in the redistricting process, with participation by former Republican and Democratic lawmakers, Libertarians, tea party activists and more. They have suggested that the General Assembly could approve the congressional map before the session’s end to meet its deadline, but wait to approve legislative maps until early in the next session – after the public has had time to study them and make suggestions for improvements.

Instead of pushing through bills to adopt maps made public just four days ago, lawmakers should slow the process and give voters time to ensure all interests – including those of the state’s second-largest city – are fairly served.,"

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 14, 2011 09:28 AM
Posted to Indiana Government