History of Fight to End
Partisan Redistricting
Background of the Fight to End Partisan Redistricting in Indiana
• Leading up to the 2021 legislative session, we learned that Census Data would be delayed due to COVID-19. Because of that, the Indiana legislature was unable to begin nor complete the process of drawing new maps. Instead, they delayed the official adjournment of the legislative session and announced they’d reconvene in Fall 2021 to address redistricting. Instead of passing fair maps, they passed maps that were more gerrymandered than 2011’s maps. For the 2022 legislative session, we encourage you to take action on Redistricting.
• In the 2020 legislative session, our proposal was Senate Bill 293 (SB293), sponsored by Senators John Ruckelshaus (R-Indianapolis) and Mike Bohacek (R-Michiana Shores). This bill was the last opportunity for the legislature to reform redistricting before new political maps are drawn for Congress and the state legislature in 2021.
• In 2019 Senators Greg Walker, Randy Head, Mike Bohacek and John Ruckelshaus authored Senate Bill 105. While the bill passed the Senate, the House Elections Chair, Rep. Tim Wesco, failed to give the bill a hearing.
• In 2017 and 2018, Speaker of the House Brian Bosma and Rep. Jerry Torr sponsored legislation based on this recommendation. It received a hearing in the Elections Committee but not a vote. The bill died after receiving overwhelming support in the Senate in 2018.
• In 2016, the Special Interim Committee on Redistricting, a bipartisan panel of legislators and citizens recommended the General Assembly pass a law to create a 9 member redistricting commission.
Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission
To compile district maps that reflect Indiana’s updated population, the new district maps must utilize full 2020 Census results. To read more about why that’s the case, please take a look at The Brennan Center article here.
Backstory
Since the Legislature chose not to pass legislation creating an independent commission to create legislative district maps, our coalition created an independent coalition ourselves. The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Coalition (ICRC) comprises 9 citizen members*—a diverse, balanced and multi-partisan group of Indiana voters to serve as a model for how redistricting should be conducted (the ICRC has 3 Republicans, 3 Democrats and 3 members who are neither Republican nor Democrat.)
The ICRC’s first job was to conduct a series of virtual public meetings in every Indiana Congressional district. Visit our YouTube page to view the recordings for each Congressional District.
Now that the Indiana Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) has heard Hoosiers’ testimony as to their priorities for Indiana’s new maps, it’s up to the legislature to use the data we collected in a report (below) to create their new district maps. Visit the Commission Website.