Ken de la Bastide column: Indiana should leave the districts alone

Yahoo

a day ago

Will Indiana Republicans comply with the request of President Donald Trump to consider setting a precedent by redistricting again?
Indiana has traditionally redrawn legislative and congressional districts after the completion of the U.S. Census every decade.
The lines were redrawn in 2021 and should remain in place until at least 2031.
Vice President JD Vance was in Indiana this week and met with Gov. Mike Braun and the state's GOP legislative leaders, in part, to discuss redistricting.
With the Republican Party in complete control of the Legislature, all state elective offices and the majority of Congressional seats, it seems hard to believe that redistricting would be considered.
Republicans have supermajorities in both chambers of the Indiana General Assembly, which means no Democratic votes are needed to pass bills.
The GOP currently holds seven of the state's nine congressional seats, with only districts in Indianapolis and northwest Indiana represented by Democrats.
Any new map drawn for Indianapolis would have to extend the boundary from Marion County into at least a few of the so-called 'doughnut counties.'
A change in that map would impact every other congressional district as currently drawn.
Would Hamilton County become part of a district to water down Democratic votes in Marion County?
That would impact the 5th District, which includes all of Madison County.
Would any new maps require some counties to be split between congressional districts, as in the past?
The same effect would take place in northwest Indiana, as the Gary and Hammond area would have to be moved to the south to secure Republican votes.
Former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has already spoken out against any effort to redistrict in the state.
'It's certainly not going to reduce the level of public cynicism or increase the level of confidence,' Daniels said. 'It may be appropriate in some places, but I don't understand that Indiana is one. I think we have pretty fairly drawn lines now, and I don't see any good reason that they should be tampered with out of cycle.'
Since the Legislature doesn't meet again until next year, any effort to redistrict this year would require Braun to call a special session.
Will public hearings take place around the state to get citizen input on new district boundaries, or would it all take place in the Legislature?
Would an effort to redraw the congressional lines also involve the redistricting of the state legislative boundaries?
Should an effort be made to redraw the lines in Indiana, there is sure to be a public outcry and the filing of lawsuits to block the effort.
Braun and the GOP leadership should not comply with Trump's efforts. They should leave the districts as currently drawn.
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