This news item struck me as a real shocker.
Today's The Hill reports that Republican Congressman Zach Wamp of Tennessee has signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill to establish independent, bipartisan commissions in each state to redraw Congressional district maps every 10 years and restrict redistricting efforts from taking place between census cycles. http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/062305/brief.html
As Rep. Wamp cogently explains: "Too many Congressional districts have been carefully designed to guarantee victory for one political party or another."
Wow! Like in Texas? And Georgia?
And a Republican Congressman actually thinks this might not be a good thing?
Wonders never cease.
More below the fold.
The bill in question, HR 2642, was introduced by Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn.) on May 25, 2005. Called the Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act, the specifics are as follows:
Each state would establish an independent redistricting commission of at least five members to draw that state's Congressional district map exactly once every 10 years. Majority and minority party leaders in the state legislature would appoint an even number of commissioners, who would then elect an additional commissioner to serve as the panel's chair. Commissioners could not be recently active in politics and would be ineligible to run for a U.S. House seat in that state for 10 years.
The redistricting commission would be required to consider the rights established by the Constitution and Voting Rights Act, as well as population and geography of each district but would not be allowed to consider political issues such as voting history, party affiliation or the potential impact on a sitting incumbent. The commission's report must be approved or disapproved by the Governor and the state legislature without amendment.
These provisions would serve as minimum standards, but states would have the option to adopt stricter guidelines.
The bill in its entirety can be reviewed here:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:H.R.2642:
Last week, The Tennessean newspaper of Nashville published an excellent staff editorial regarding this bill, stating in part:
"The current redistricting process has contributed to the polarizing of Congress over the last several years. Both parties try to draw lines that put districts solidly in their ranks.
The result are congressional races that are not competitive. Only seven seats in the House out of 435 changed from one political party to another last year. That means 95% of incumbents held on to their seats. And many of those elections were landslides.
The voters are the losers. They don't get the discourse they need to make educated public decisions, and they don't get the exposure to competitive candidates that a more equitably drawn district could produce.
Taking politics completely out of the process may be impossible as long as appointees must be made to any commission. But a more level playing field isn't impossible to imagine and is infinitely to be desired given the current polarization.
Tennessee may not have led on redistricting, but it has a congressman courageous enough to broaden the discussion to Congress. Tanner deserves support." http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050613/OPINION01/506130344/1008/OPINION
And now Republican Zach Wamp jumps on board.
I cannot imagine Dennis Hastert and Tom Delay are very happy - at all - about this development.