Lawmakers offer bills to reform redistricting

Two House members have unveiled legislation to overhaul the redistricting process and prevent gerrymandering.

The two bills authored by Reps. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) and Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) would cut state legislatures’ authority in the redistricting process, which occurs once a decade after accounting for the federal Census.

{mosads}One measure would require states to establish independent commissions to handle redistricting, while the other would direct states to post redistricting data online and allow the public to comment before the new district maps are approved.

Cooper and Ribble argue that redistricting has led to voter apathy. Redistricting is one of the reasons why Republicans will likely maintain a hold on the House majority through at least 2020, as GOP-controlled state legislatures in many states were able to redraw maps favorable to their party after the 2010 Census.

“Voters used to choose their leaders, but now politicians choose their voters,” Cooper said in a statement.

Redistricting has played a role in the fact that less than a quarter of the 435 House seats were considered competitive in the last election cycle.

“Making districts so heavily liberal or conservative that the only competition for a seat occurs during the primary election is dishonest, and these two bills will help bring the practice to an end,” Ribble said.