Democratic state senators in Illinois have recently introduced a plan to change the process the state uses to draw its legislative districts. On Wednesday, the plan was passed by the Senate’s redistricting committee. It faces a harder battle in the House, however, where the Democratic majority is not as strong. The current process allows the… Continue Reading
Rose Fellow Douglas Johnson is in Sacramento to attend today’s meeting of the Applicant Review Panel. The Panel is a group of auditors from the California State Auditor’s office who have been selected to review the thousands of applications for California’s first-ever Citizens Redistricting Commission. For minute by minute coverage of the meeting from its… Continue Reading
Despite an effort by a group called Fair Boundaries, Utah will not reform its redistricting process before the 2011 cycle. The Fair Boundaries group tried to put a redistricting reform initiative on the 2010 ballot that, if it had been approved, would have reformed redistricting on the congressional, state legislative, and school board levels in… Continue Reading
In the Inland Empire, 2010 is shaping up to be an unusually competitive year for state legislative elections. Due to term limits and resignations, several of these elections have no incumbent on the ballot. A changing electorate and a difficult economic climate also bring new dynamics to the races. The election season kicked off with… Continue Reading
The Coachella Valley is home to five tribes—Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Augustine Band of Mission Indians, Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, Torres-Martinez Band of Desert Cahuilla Indians, and Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Through development of casinos and other businesses, these tribes have contributed to the economy of the Coachella Valley. But… Continue Reading
By Chris Jones’11 The City of Riverside serves as the unofficial capital of the Inland Empire. Founded in 1870 and incorporated in 1883, Riverside has long been the Inland Empire’s most populous city, the seat of government for Riverside County, and a major supplier of jobs for the region. Riverside is also the Inland Empire’s… Continue Reading
As reported by the Los Angeles Times on April 12th, entertainment executive and major Democratic party donor Haim Saban recently donated $2 million to the “Yes on Fair” initiative, a political advocacy group led by Representative Howard Berman that wants to overturn Proposition 11. Proposition 11 was passed by California voters in 2008 and created… Continue Reading
In a recent Congressional Quarterly column on 2001 and future 2011 congressional redistricting, Bob Benenson wrote about how 2010 gubernatorial elections can determine and change the partisan makeup of a particular state’s members of Congress for the next ten years. Maryland’s 2010 gubernatorial election and 2011 redistricting provide a vivid example of the impact of… Continue Reading
The deadline for Californians to turn in their secondary applications for the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is Monday, April 19th, at 5:00 PM. Applicants should be sure to read the Auditor’s guidance on how to demonstrate your qualifications in your essays. And, of course, applicants should be sure they do not violate the Commission’s conflict of… Continue Reading
Former New York State Senator Seymour P. Lachman wrote an op-ed in The New York Times on Sunday recounting his personal experience with redistricting politics and proposing a new model for redistricting reform. He described being offered a variety of perks and incentive in order to consent to his districting being “cracked” during the New York State… Continue Reading
