Remaps Revisited

Here is a Roll Call editorial on Congressional remapping. The bill by Rep. Tanner is remarkably simple on its face. The law provides for a tie-breaking type of redistricting commission that must make districting decisions based purely on population numbers and on geographic considerations. While compactness and contiguity of districts is required, the law prohibits the use of voting history, partisan ID and other political factors in districting decisions.

The law is based largely on the experience and knowledge from the Iowa and Arizona redistricting commissions.

I would argue that the law should include a provision that where practicable, the districting commission should make districting decisions that favor competitive races over those whose population make up would lean toward non-competitive races. But other than that, we have a pretty good bill.

Of course, the problem with the bill is that most members of Congress are interested in getting re-elected and the current scheme all but guarantees that. Perhaps in conjunction with my campaign finance proposal, we could get truly competitive elections in Congress.

Remaps Revisited