Thanks to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News for this post.
North Carolinians were Presented with more than a Dozen Congressional Maps less than 24 Hours to Provide Public Comment about them Wednesday. The Overwhelming Response was Disapproval of the Remedial Redistricting Process as a Whole and Sharp Criticism about a Lack of Transparency and Time for meaningful Public Input.
Lawmakers Initiated the Process after a Three-Judge Panel Enjoined them from using the 2016 Congressional Maps, because of its Determination that a Lawsuit Challenging it on Grounds of Unconstitutional Partisan Gerrymandering would likely Prevail.
A Joint Congressional Redistricting Committee spent the better part of the past week Drawing New Maps, and while it was Live-Streamed Online, there were still Questions about whether there were Back-Room Consultations and Complaints about how Difficult it was for Laypeople to follow what was being Drawn.
“It was almost impossible to tell what was happening,” said Jane Pinsky, Director of the NC Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform. She followed the Entire Process in Person, and she said Wednesday that she Doesn’t Believe it should Pass Court Muster. She also Expressed her View that the Public Hearing seemed Disingenuous at best. “It’s hard not to feel like they were waiting for the public – myself included – to hurry up and be done,” Pinsky said.
Between an Online Portal and the In-Person Public Comment Hearing Wednesday, Lawmakers heard from Thousands of Constituents. “I come as one, but I stand as 2,189,000, the approximate number of people who have been disenfranchised by the packing and stacking that has given our beloved state its infamy in being known as the national leader of gerrymandering and voter-suppression lawmaking,” said the Rev. Greg Drumright of Guilford County.
He said Speaking Out was “personal” because he was a Graduate and Former Student Body President at North Carolina’s A&T State University, a Historically Black University, which was famously Split as part of Partisan Gerrymandering Efforts. “This has affected the voice and choice from within our community,” he said. “I’m here to uplift a moral argument around communities of interest that are being pinpointed.”
Stefanie Mendell, a Raleigh City Council Member who spoke in her Personal Capacity, told Lawmakers that Adopting Fair and Objective Maps is Imperative. “Our constitutional right to vote and to have our votes mean something has been jeopardized for years by partisan gerrymandering, voter suppression tactics, special interest groups, dark money and negative and nasty campaigning, which has now trickled down to local municipal elections,” she said. “That is not how democracy is supposed to work in this country.”
Several Speakers spoke about Wanting to see a Change in the Redistricting Process and told Lawmakers about their Values for Mapmaking.
“North Carolina’s congressional districts have not only been racial and political gerrymanders, they’ve also drawn women out of office,” said Kamaria Lawrence, who Drove to the Hearing from Mecklenburg County. “Only two of North Carolina’s 15 senators and members of Congress are women, while over half of our voters are. A map that limits women to 13 percent of our congressional delegation should be unacceptable.”
She commented on Three Maps in particular, including Sen. Ben Clark’s (D-21th District, Cumberland) and Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield’s (D-24th District, Wilson) Maps, which she said would Create New Districts where Women could Play a Larger Role in Congress. Sen. Ralph Hise (R-47th District, McDowell) Map, she added, has Positives and Negatives, but would Create Safe Districts for Female Incumbents.
There were ultimately Six Redistricting Bills, or Six Maps filed by House Members Wednesday evening and Seven Bills/Maps filed by Senate Members.
The House Redistricting Committee is set to meet at 9am today, but the only Bill on the Agenda is one filed by Representatives David Lewis (R-53rd District, Harnett) and Destin Hall (R-87th District, Caldwell) but widely referred to as “the Sen. Paul Newton (R-Cabarrus) Map.” A Senate Redistricting Committee Meeting has Not yet been Set.
Clark said in a Phone Interview Wednesday that the Map he filed to be considered performs better than any of the others when it comes to Traditional Redistricting Scoring. The Population, he said, Deviates slightly, but is Legally Compliant, and Better than the Deviation in a Map from a Legal Case that Dictates that Rule.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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