Doesn't sound like a real great plan, but it's a step in the right direction:
Tired of talking about how Democrats in Illinois rigged the legislative maps to elect more Democrats? Let's talk about how Republicans in Ohio rigged the legislative maps to elect more Republicans. And about how Ohio voters are trying to fix it.
In the 2012 election — the first using new maps based on the 2010 U.S. Census numbers — Republican candidates for the Ohio House of Representatives got 49 percent of the vote and won 60 percent of the seats. Republicans running for Senate got 68 percent of the vote and won 83 percent of the seats.
Those maps weren't drawn to ensure that voters had their say. They were drawn to benefit the politicians who controlled the redistricting process. Using sophisticated software and voter history data, Republicans drew grossly misshapen districts, surrounding their allies with friendly voters and busting up communities to disadvantage their enemies.
It worked. Based on a "partisan index" that measures how strongly a district is stacked in favor of one party, the League of Women Voters of Ohio determined that the results of the 2012 election were dictated by mapmakers in 97 of 99 House races and in all 18 Senate races.
Does that sound familiar? It should. It's exactly what goes on in Illinois. Actually, it goes on in every state that allows politicians to draw their own districts. The only thing that varies is which party has the upper hand.
This part sounds familiar too: Ohio voters who are wise to this racket have been trying for decades to amend their Constitution to promote fair, competitive elections. Politicians have worked to defeat those initiatives every time.
Also as in Illinois, Ohio lawmakers have feigned an interest in placing redistricting reforms on the ballot themselves, but never did so — until now.
In last year's lame duck session, a bipartisan compromise crafted by two retiring lawmakers passed both houses overwhelmingly. It's on the Nov. 3 ballot. It has been endorsed by both parties, with moderate enthusiasm, and by dozens of business and civic groups. It has no organized opposition, and polls predict it will pass.
In Illinois, meanwhile, the Independent Maps coalition has collected 365,000 signatures to put an amendment on the 2016 ballot. The group is aiming for 600,000 — twice what's required — to provide a cushion for the inevitable assault sponsored by state Democrats.
The Independent Map Amendment would take the job of drawing maps away from lawmakers — commanded by House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton — and assign it to an independent 11-member commission.
Anyone could apply to serve on the commission. A review panel would select a racially and geographically diverse pool of 100 applicants after screening for conflicts of interest. Seven would be selected from the pool at random, with no more than two from the same political party. Legislative leaders would pick the last four, also from the pool.
The maps would be drawn in the open, with public input. The panel would be required to respect racial and geographic boundaries and to ignore the addresses of incumbents.
Madigan and company want none of that, for obvious reasons. You can learn more about the amendment at www.chicagotribune.com/mapamendment.
Ohio's amendment would not create an independent panel. It's a compromise brokered among lawmakers, remember? Many of its supporters say it's good, not great.
Now, Ohio's maps are drawn by a five-member board that includes the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and two lawmakers — one Democrat and one Republican. So the party that holds at least two of the statewide offices is in complete control.
The amendment would add two more lawmakers, one from each party, assuring the minority party would have at least two seats at the table. The majority could still have its way, but if the map didn't get at least two votes from the minority party, it would be good for only four years instead of 10.
That's a strong incentive for compromise in Ohio, where voters are split roughly 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. If the statewide offices flipped, the balance of power on the panel would be reversed.
The amendment explicitly prohibits drawing maps to favor one party over the other. It strictly limits the circumstances under which a community can be split into more than one district. And it instructs the state Supreme Court to invalidate a map that doesn't reflect the statewide balance of Democrats and Republicans.
It would give voters a fighting chance. Go for it, Ohio.
Illinois, you're next.
Let's get the Independent Map Amendment on the ballot, and pass it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-remap-illinois-edit-1030-20151029-story.html
Tired of talking about how Democrats in Illinois rigged the legislative maps to elect more Democrats? Let's talk about how Republicans in Ohio rigged the legislative maps to elect more Republicans. And about how Ohio voters are trying to fix it.
In the 2012 election — the first using new maps based on the 2010 U.S. Census numbers — Republican candidates for the Ohio House of Representatives got 49 percent of the vote and won 60 percent of the seats. Republicans running for Senate got 68 percent of the vote and won 83 percent of the seats.
Those maps weren't drawn to ensure that voters had their say. They were drawn to benefit the politicians who controlled the redistricting process. Using sophisticated software and voter history data, Republicans drew grossly misshapen districts, surrounding their allies with friendly voters and busting up communities to disadvantage their enemies.
It worked. Based on a "partisan index" that measures how strongly a district is stacked in favor of one party, the League of Women Voters of Ohio determined that the results of the 2012 election were dictated by mapmakers in 97 of 99 House races and in all 18 Senate races.
Does that sound familiar? It should. It's exactly what goes on in Illinois. Actually, it goes on in every state that allows politicians to draw their own districts. The only thing that varies is which party has the upper hand.
This part sounds familiar too: Ohio voters who are wise to this racket have been trying for decades to amend their Constitution to promote fair, competitive elections. Politicians have worked to defeat those initiatives every time.
Also as in Illinois, Ohio lawmakers have feigned an interest in placing redistricting reforms on the ballot themselves, but never did so — until now.
In last year's lame duck session, a bipartisan compromise crafted by two retiring lawmakers passed both houses overwhelmingly. It's on the Nov. 3 ballot. It has been endorsed by both parties, with moderate enthusiasm, and by dozens of business and civic groups. It has no organized opposition, and polls predict it will pass.
In Illinois, meanwhile, the Independent Maps coalition has collected 365,000 signatures to put an amendment on the 2016 ballot. The group is aiming for 600,000 — twice what's required — to provide a cushion for the inevitable assault sponsored by state Democrats.
The Independent Map Amendment would take the job of drawing maps away from lawmakers — commanded by House Speaker Mike Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton — and assign it to an independent 11-member commission.
Anyone could apply to serve on the commission. A review panel would select a racially and geographically diverse pool of 100 applicants after screening for conflicts of interest. Seven would be selected from the pool at random, with no more than two from the same political party. Legislative leaders would pick the last four, also from the pool.
The maps would be drawn in the open, with public input. The panel would be required to respect racial and geographic boundaries and to ignore the addresses of incumbents.
Madigan and company want none of that, for obvious reasons. You can learn more about the amendment at www.chicagotribune.com/mapamendment.
Ohio's amendment would not create an independent panel. It's a compromise brokered among lawmakers, remember? Many of its supporters say it's good, not great.
Now, Ohio's maps are drawn by a five-member board that includes the governor, state auditor, secretary of state and two lawmakers — one Democrat and one Republican. So the party that holds at least two of the statewide offices is in complete control.
The amendment would add two more lawmakers, one from each party, assuring the minority party would have at least two seats at the table. The majority could still have its way, but if the map didn't get at least two votes from the minority party, it would be good for only four years instead of 10.
That's a strong incentive for compromise in Ohio, where voters are split roughly 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. If the statewide offices flipped, the balance of power on the panel would be reversed.
The amendment explicitly prohibits drawing maps to favor one party over the other. It strictly limits the circumstances under which a community can be split into more than one district. And it instructs the state Supreme Court to invalidate a map that doesn't reflect the statewide balance of Democrats and Republicans.
It would give voters a fighting chance. Go for it, Ohio.
Illinois, you're next.
Let's get the Independent Map Amendment on the ballot, and pass it.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/...-remap-illinois-edit-1030-20151029-story.html
