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REDISTRICTING IS FINALLY UPON US

LWVIN | Published on 9/18/2021

REDISTRICTING IS FINALLY UPON US

The Indiana House Committee on Elections and Apportionment held hearings this past week (September 15 and September 16) on the Congressional and IN House district maps they released on September 14 here. They meet next week (September 20) to vote and send the proposed maps to the full House which will vote on September 23 to approve HB 1581, the redistricting bill.

 
iga.in.gov/legislative/2021/billpacket/committee_elections_and_apportionment


The Senate Elections Committee will release the proposed IN Senate district map on September 21, hold a hearing on September 27, and vote on September 28. (See http://iga.in.gov/redistricting/) The full Senate will vote on October 1—and we will have maps that will shape our lives and our communities for the next decade.


When we draw the maps, we essentially choose what hospitals, schools and resources are funded in our neighborhood and deliver what our schools and families need for a decade to come. Funds for schools, hospitals, and other essential services will be allocated by the representatives we elect. So...new district lines should give each of our votes equal weight, each of our voices equal stature, and each of our communities equal resources.


Proposed district lines do not appear to deliver that goal (see the FiveThirtyEight analysis of the Congressional map at https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/indiana/republican_proposal/), but the legislative timeline is making public review of their maps difficult at best. 



Republican Leadership

• did not supply the files that would have allowed the public to analyze the maps until shortly before the first hearing

  
We need transparency, access to information, and extended time to review the maps! The timeline should not be driven by political considerations* but by fairness to all Hoosier voters.


Contact your own legislators, legislative leadership, and the election committees to convey that message—
Hoosiers need and deserve transparency, access to information, and extended time to review the maps! The timeline should not be driven by political considerations* but by fairness to all Hoosier voters.


Contact Information

Legislative leadership:

  • Senator Jon Ford, Chair of the Senate Elections Committee--317.232.9517  (Madalynn Conner, legis. Asst.)   800-382-9467  Madalynn.Conner@iga.in.gov or 317-232-9400
  • Representative Tim Wesco, Chair of the House Elections and Appropriations Committee---317.232.9753 (Kaylee Koehlinger, legis. Asst.) 800-382-9481
  • Senator Pro Tempo Rodric Bray--317.232.9416 (Kayla Caviness, legis. Asst.)  800-382-9467 Kayla.Caviness@iga.in.govor 317-232-9400
  • House Speaker Todd Huston--317.232.9677 (Brittany Jenkins, legis. Asst.)  800-382-9481



House Elections and Apportionment Committee (Call House members at 800-382-9841)

Rep. Timothy Wesco, Chair    h2@iga.in.gov                       

Rep. Alan Morrison, Vice Chair   h42@iga.in.gov             

Rep. Tonya Pfaff, Ranking Minority Member   h43@iga.in.gov                                         

Majority Members:

Minority Members:

Rep. Gregory Steuerwald, author of the redistricting bill h40@iga.in.gov
  

Senate Elections Committee (Call Senators at 800-382-9467)

Sen. Jon Ford, Chair   s38@iga.in.gov      

Sen. Ronald Grooms, Ranking Member  s46@iga.in.gov           

Sen. J.D. Ford, Ranking Minority Member  s29@iga.in.gov    
  

Majority Members:

Minority Members:

 




*The requirement that candidates live in a district for 100 days before filing would give
candidates 2 weeks to move if these maps are adopted on October 1. The IN primary is
May 3, 2022. Filing opens Jan.5 (not earlier than 118 days before the primary election)
and closes Feb. 4 (not later than noon 88 days before the primary election). [Burns Ind.
Code § 3-8-2-4]