SB 20 — Reapportionment of the General Assembly
Kudos to are due to Senator Blevins and Representative Kowalko and all of the co-sponsors of this bill to create an The Redistricting Commission for the State of Delaware — an independent commission to supervise the reapportionment of the GA after the next census. Really, this approach to reapportionment is all kinds of steps in the right direction.
This bill takes the work of redistricting out of the political hands of the Legislature and asks this commission to redraw the maps. The GA approves the maps by majority vote, with the Governor approving. In the event there is no agreement on the reapportionment by September 30 of the year the new census data is available from the US Government, there is a provision to hand the task off to the Chancellor of the State of Delaware and a Superior Court Judge, whose work product is binding when complete.
The Commission has eleven members — 10 appointed by GA leadership and the non-voting Chair of the Commission is selected and voted on by the appointed Commission. Each county and the City of Wilmington have to be represented. They are required to operate openly — they have the maintain a website, conduct all meetings in public, and be subject to FOIA. In addition, they may not be elected officials, party officials, may not be a lobbiest, may not run for office in the election following reapportionment and may not be recently retired from the legislature.
There’s more detail at the link above, but this is an excellent development to try to get some of (but it won’t get all) of map development for political gain out of the process. NJ has a similar plan — except their commission does its work and certifies a new map with the Secretary of State. Neither the Governor or GA can veto it. Also, any judicial challenges to the NJ Commission maps or process can only be brought to the Supreme Court. Iowa has a famously even-handed process, which has elements of these models, but also restrict the commission from using any demographic data (except for the census population numbers) in the drawing of the maps. They cannot know anything about the addresses of incumbents, party affiliation data, history of voting or similar data to get to their work.
This is the kind of effort that can make partisans in power absolutely crazy. In NJ, the effort made a few districts actually competitive for a change and real competition is a good thing for voters. (IN NJ, his effort also spread the Blue; in Iowa they stay pretty resolutely Purple, and their true wingnuts don’t usually survive long.) Protecting long-held seats is often a long-simmering disaster — for voters and for the governing bodies that need to get real work done. Fresher faces and thinkers get a better shot at seats because there is no longer an overwhelming structural advantage. I don’t know, really, if Delaware’s state and house districts can be said to be gerrymandered, but I do know that there are Districts where dismantling some of the incumbent’s advantages would be a Good Thing.
So what do you think about this? What would you add or change? And, more importantly, do you think it will become law?
Tags: General Assembly, Reapportionment
This is really important legislation that would knock a few edges off the incumbent advantage.
Oh, they are gerrymandered. And the effects of reapportionment will be huge in southern New Castle County. All that growth is about to change the balance of power in many governmental bodies.
I love that they will be subject to FOIA and open meetings.
I truly wish this commission could be independent, but alas poor Yorick, I know it won’t be.
I think this is great! I don’t think Delaware’s districts are as ridiculous as some states’ districts are but this is a great step. I don’t think politics can ever be completely removed from the process but I’d like to see as little as possible.
The new government body to structure the districts is not needed.
The U of D can do this task in less than a week and give you at least 10 options..
This bill has little chance at becoming law.
Damn.
I guess even a broken clock like Patty Blevins can be right at least once in a legislative session. Kowalko is no surprise on a piece of legislation like this — good on him. But Blevins is a shocker.
This is the kind if unilateral laying down of arms that only Democrats do.
When it comes to putting the public good over partisan gain, I hope we can all agree that modern Republicans would never pass the ability to take partisan advantage.
This is the kind if unilateral laying down of arms that only Democrats do.
When it comes to putting the public good over partisan gain, I hope we can all agree that modern Republicans would never pass the ability to take partisan advantage.
Goddamn the generalizations and bullshit are oozing out of you at an exponential rate these past few days.
Mike,
Am I right? Okay then.
No, you’re not right. You’re full of shit. You’ve become so enamored with the shit that’s spewing from your keyboard that you actually believe the things you say are truth.
Your rabid generalizations and wicked, nearly pathological, continued attacks against Burris and others don’t really tell us much about them. They tell us more about you and what you’ve become.
You’re seriously losing me here, Jason. Losing me big time. And this is coming from the guy who used to be called the potty-mouth of the Delaware blogosphere. But, there’s a difference between a sarcastic, ridiculous potty-mouth (like I’ve been) and the menacing, cruel, heartless bastard that you’re slowly becoming.
Simply put, it’s no longer any fun. And you have only yourself to blame.
Go ahead, flame me. I expect it. It’s all you’ve got. However, if you were to really step back and take a look at the vile bile you’ve been spewing, then perhaps you’d realize that you just need to take a fucking chill pill and stop. Stop your relentless, nauseating attacks. Stop your petty vindictiveness and the nastiness and personal attacks you’ve employed.
And I’m not condoning what Dave has done, either. Bringing up your personal business dealings is nothing more than the same tactics you’ve used on him in calling him a failure.
Could it be that I’m really just trying to play peacemaker in what is the DE Blogospheric equivalent of the Israel/Palestinian never-ending conflict?
Please say it ain’t so.
: sighs :
Your rabid generalizations and wicked, nearly pathological, continued attacks against Burris
I’m done with that. Moving on now.
: pats jason330 on the back :
I think it’s time for a group hug:
{{{{{Delaware Liberal}}}}}
Actually, both sides do the jerrymandering and they trade off. The party in power gets the most districts, but some are also set aside for the minority party. That’s how it works. And, sometimes, the party in power actually moves district lines to cut out an opposition incumbent. Lot’s of pain there.
MM6 – This bill was originally introduced in the 143rd Session by Senator Peterson. Senator Blevins swooped it up when it appeared to have public support. But, remember, she doesn’t really have to worry about it passing if it languishes in Committee.
#5 writes: “This bill has little chance at becoming law.”
Must we accept this?
There is no question that the special interest most harmed by this bill are the incumbent legislators, and more so those of the dominant party (sorry to say).
Nonetheless, when enough pressure is brought to bear by the people, eventually the politicians will bend to their will. We need to be strong, consistent, and relentless.
As with bills to make it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation, and with open government FOIA bills, the question is not if but when this progress will be made. And the question is which side of history each legislator wishes to stand–for right or for wrong, for the people or against them. The question for the people is when is enough enough, when a legislator’s stands on the wrong side of history are enough to boot them out.
The PDD endorsement committee has a record of each endorsed candidate’s firm support for fair redistricting.
Email, write, or call your legislator and ask whether they support HB10 and fair redistricting, or whether they support gerrymandering. Write to DL and WNJ and call into WDEL.
When the people lead, the leaders will follow!
It’s called grassroots (and netroots)!
Be the change.
Kudos to Kowalko & Blevins
Thanks, Pragmatist. That definitely makes much more sense.
the guy who used to be called the potty-mouth of the Delaware blogosphere
Used to be?
Well, I’ve got some pretty stiff competition now and I may have to cede the title.
I don’t think politics can ever be completely removed from the process but I’d like to see as little as possible.
The Iowa redistricting process is as close as you can humanly get to politics-free. Political inputs are forbidden in the data collection, there are some instructions for compactness of districts and so on. What their process functionally does is to make Iowa’s swing state status a structural feature. Currently, Iowa is trending Blue, with Ds controlling the Governorship and both legislative bodies. redistricting does not put any fingers on the scale here — both parties have to be able to genuinely work for their votes. It gives away any D or R advantage for just plain fairness, I think.
Are there maps of the whole state, Representative and Senate Districts?
I can only find each district separated.
This is the kind if unilateral laying down of arms that only Democrats do.
When it comes to putting the public good over partisan gain, I hope we can all agree that modern Republicans would never pass the ability to take partisan advantage.
I think that is true, but where Dems have a chance to dismantle partisan structures that could be just as easily be used against them, we should do it. Frankly, Delaware is trending Blue too — so I can’t imagine that a truly independent redistricting (pace nemski) does much unilateral disarming. If Rs are running the GA in 2020, they have the harder job of justifying why they need to redo the rules for partisan advantage. Which isn’t to say they wouldn’t.
When NJ did this, the Rs ran both houses of the GA — Ds run both now, with the help of a few (not very many tho) newly drawn districts that were more competitive.
Not sure about the maps, nemski — but I am sure I’ve seen one for the whole state.
It is SB 20 not HB 20.
nemski, I’ve never seen a statewide map on-line, too small to be of any use. However, the Dept. of Elections on the 4th Flr of the Carvel Building sells them, they are about 3ft by 5 ft, and I think they run around $26.00. They are very colorful and pretty.
Oops, you are right! Changing it right now.
Thanks Pragmatist for the info. I know the districts are all screwy, but I’d still like to get the big picture.