North Carolina and Alabama enacted new congressional and legislative maps as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle. In Alabama, Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed proposals for both congressional and legislative maps into law on Nov. 4. The state Senate approved the Senate map on Nov. 1 with a 25-7 vote, and the state House approved…
States have recently approved new congressional and legislative district maps or are in the process of redistricting after the 2020 census. So it seemed like a good time to look back at instances in the past when opponents of specific redistricting maps collected signatures for veto referendum petitions asking voters to repeal the maps. Voters…
On Nov. 1, the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously approved the congressional redistricting plan that the state’s Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission approved on Sept. 28. The map will take effect for Colorado’s 2022 congressional elections. The Court’s opinion said, “For the first time, the state’s congressional district map is not the product of politics or litigation;…
Here’s a summary of recent court challenges involving redistricting. Illinois A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled on Oct. 19 that Illinois’ legislative maps enacted in June were unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Illinois legislature initially enacted state legislative maps…
Here’s a summary of recent redistricting news from Colorado, Arkansas, and Connecticut: In Arkansas, the secretary of state’s office approved the veto referendums announced by Arkansans for a Unified Natural State, which challenge the state’s congressional map bills, meaning the organization can begin collecting signatures. The signature campaign for the veto referendums, if successful, would place…
At least ten states progressed in either proposing, advancing, or enacting new congressional and state legislative district maps as part of the 2020 redistricting cycle between Oct. 20 and Oct. 27, 2021. Proposed Alabama: On Oct. 25, state Rep. Chris England (D) released Alabama’s first congressional and state legislative draft maps via Twitter. The following day, the state’s…
Texas enacted new state legislative districts on October 25, 2021, when Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed proposals approved by the Texas House and Senate into law. These maps will take effect for Texas’ 2022 state legislative elections. The Senate Redistricting Committee released a draft of a Senate legislative map on September 18, 2021. A Senate…
Texas enacted new congressional districts on October 25, 2021, when Gov. Greg Abbott (R) signed a proposal approved by the Texas House and Senate into law. This map will take effect for Texas’ 2022 congressional elections. Sen. Joan Huffman (R) proposed a congressional map on September 27, 2021, and the Senate approved an amended version…
Here’s a summary of recent redistricting timeline updates from Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Utah. Colorado: After the Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission approved state legislative map proposals to be sent to the Colorado Supreme Court for review on Oct. 11 (House map) and 12 (Senate map), the deadline for the court to either approve or send…
West Virginia enacted new congressional districts on Oct. 22, 2021, when Gov. Jim Justice (R) signed a proposal approved by the House of Delegates and Senate into law. This map will take effect for West Virginia’s 2022 congressional elections. On Sept. 30, 2021, the House and Senate Redistricting Committees released 18 congressional district map proposals.…