Every ten years, Missouri’s lawmakers redraw the state’s congressional map in order to address population changes as reflected by the annual census. While the process is always highly politically charged, the state’s loss of one of its nine congressional seats this year added to the political sharpness of the process. The new map was debated… Continue Reading
On April 14, Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe (D) signed into law the proposed redistricting plan for the state’s four congressional districts. The House and Senate voted a day earlier (61-19 and 23-11, respectively) to approve the plan. Arkansas was officially the first state to complete its decennial congressional redistricting plan, with many more states to… Continue Reading
By David W. Meyer ’12 The recent release of the 2010 Census data confirms that the population of the Inland Empire has grown considerably in the last decade. Since the 2000 count, Riverside County has grown by about 40 percent, while San Bernardino County has grown by about 20 percent. The majority of the growth… Continue Reading
By Elizabeth A. Johnson ’11 On April 12, 2011 Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a mandate that one-third of electricity in California must come from renewable sources by 2020. California had previously required investor-owned utilities to generate 20 percent of their electricity from clean sources by 2010, with a three year grace period. The… Continue Reading
Virginia’s 2011 redistricting will not produce ideal congressional districts for either Republicans or Democrats. Unlike in 2001, when Republicans completely controlled the redistricting process, the Old Dominion’s government is now divided, with Republicans in control of the governor’s office and the House of Delegates and Democrats in control of the Senate. As a consequence, neither… Continue Reading
Simply put, 2011 redistricting in Louisiana is likely to be ugly. A combination of factors make the 2011 redistricting a high stakes situation for both parties and will likely make the process a partisan fight. This article will detail Louisiana redistricting with a general overview of the state followed by a close examination of each current… Continue Reading
A recent article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune cited Rose Institute Fellow Douglas Johnson on Latino turn-out in the 2010 midterm elections. Published on April 29, the article is titled “It’s Politics: San Gabriel Valley’s Latino voters could surprise.” Johnson says, “We’re definitely seeing more and more Latino population and more and more… Continue Reading
By Alex R. Johnson ’13 California Governor Jerry Brown’s 2011-12 Budget proposal calls for eliminating the approximately 400 redevelopment agencies throughout the state. It aims to shift economic development responsibility from the redevelopment agencies to local governments, in an attempt to cut back the enormous debt incurred by the agencies and invest the money saved… Continue Reading
Iowa’s new congressional map passed the Iowa State House (90-7) and Senate (48-1) on April 14. Governor Terry Branstad signed it into law on April 19. Iowa lost a Congressional district in reapportionment because the state gained only slightly over 120,000 residents over the last decade. Redistricting plans in Iowa are drafted by an… Continue Reading
By Sam H. Stone ’14 To the average traveler, a flight out of Ontario International Airport is a dream come true. Located in the city of Ontario, it sits at the border between Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County, and offers easy access to the LA metropolitan area as well as the Inland Empire.… Continue Reading
