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Sunday, July 24, 2011
Ind. Gov't. - More on "Indiana House, Senate differ on timing of new legislative districts"
Updating this ILB entry from July 20th, the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has an editorial today on the subject. Some quotes:
Do you know who your state senator is? It might not be who you think it is. How about your state representative? It probably is who you think it is.Confused? You should be.
Senate leaders say newly drawn districts went into effect July 1, as prescribed in the redistricting bill. House leaders say new districts don’t take effect until 2013, when representatives elected in November 2012 in their new districts take office. As a result, Senate members are free to contact their new constituents with taxpayer-supported legislative mailings, while House members have been prohibited from doing so.
“I had a conversation with the (House) speaker,” said Senate President Pro Tem David Long, R-Fort Wayne. “I was a little concerned about the different interpretations. But the very nature of the fact that all of their people are up for re-election next year makes it different for them. There’s even a brand-new district where there is no representative.”
Long said the two interpretations are a matter of practicality. State senators hold staggered four-year terms, so some won’t be up for re-election until 2014. That could result in double representation where a new district overlaps an old one.
But Rep. Win Moses sees the contradictory interpretations as a source of confusion. The Fort Wayne Democrat said House Speaker Brian Bosma’s decision to hold members to their current districts is counter to past practice, when representatives were allowed to send mailings to their new constituents before their current terms expired.
Moses said he will observe the speaker’s edict but will essentially begin his re-election campaign a year early to notify constituents in the new 81st District. He’ll use campaign funds to cover the mailing costs.
“The bottom line is – I’m available to my new constituents,” he said. “That’s what people expect.”
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 24, 2011 07:56 PM
Posted to Indiana Government