Indiana: GOP proposes independent redistricting commission
The Indianapolis Star reports: The drawing of legislative districts would be taken away from lawmakers and handed to a bipartisan commission in a bid for more competitive races, under a proposal unveiled Monday by House Republicans.
The plan, House Bill 1009, is part of an extensive House GOP agenda outlined Monday by House Speaker Brian C. Bosma, R-Indianapolis. Other elements include tax breaks for businesses and homeowners; vouchers to send autistic children to any school their parents choose, including private; and local government consolidation, including removing assessment duties from township trustees.
But no proposal may have more long-term impact than changing the way legislative and congressional districts are drawn. Currently, the party that wins control of the House or Senate in a census year also wins the once-in-a-decade right to draw the maps.
In Indiana, both parties have been upfront about using the maps to try to maximize their political advantage. They have protected incumbent lawmakers, ensuring that no two were drawn into the same district, and carefully studied voting patterns in order to come up with districts that were predictably Republican or Democratic. -- GOP plan: New body should draw maps | IndyStar.com