Bipartisan group backs plan to shift redistricting power

[Judi Lynn]

Bipartisan group backs plan to shift redistricting power
By State House News Service | October 4, 2005

A bipartisan group of political heavyweights yesterday threw their support behind a proposed ballot initiative that would strip the Legislature of its constitutional power to redraw district lines.

The group, including Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick, current Republican Party executive director Tim O'Brien, and former governor Michael Dukakis, endorsed a ballot proposal they say would put an end to political gerrymandering and make the process of redrawing 160 House districts and 40 Senate districts more open and fair.

''In a healthy democracy, the voters choose representatives," Patrick said. ''In the system we have, the representatives choose the voters. That's upside down."

The Fair Districts Campaign hopes to place the proposal on the 2008 ballot. The group needs 65,825 signatures and the votes of 50 lawmakers this session to advance their proposal to the ballot. Campaign officials said yesterday that they believe they have gathered between 10,000 and 20,000.
(snip/...)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/10/04/bipartisan_group_backs_plan_to_shift_redistricting_power/

[tompayne1]

1. I think

districts should just be drawn in big squares to fit the state. I guess that is easier in CO than other places but still. Stops the gerrymander.

[davidinalameda]

2. that's all fine and dandy

but it still won't work

who is going to do the drawing of those big blocks and who determins how big the blocks are going to be

and sometimes, what you call gerrymandering is a way for historically disenfranchised voters to get a say in how their government is run

[tompayne1]

3. stupid technicalities *mutters darkly*

:)

[AllegroRondo]

4. I believe Iowa is the only state that does this

but it really needs to be implemented in more places. We no longer have politicians that truly represent their electors, we have politicians who shop around for the best way to stay in power.