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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowRepublicans on Tuesday voted down a Democratic overhaul of Indiana’s congressional redistricting before moving ahead with their speedy approval of new election district maps that will be used for the next decade.
The Indiana Senate elections committee voted 7-2 along party lines in favor of the Republican-drawn redistricting plan for the state’s nine congressional districts and 150 state legislative seats based on population shifts from the 2020 census.
Political analysts say the new maps protect Republicans’ dominance that has given them a 7-2 majority of Indiana’s U.S. House seats and bigger majorities in the state Legislature than merited by their statewide vote.
Democrats have especially objected to changes made in central Indiana’s 5th Congressional District to boost Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz’s reelection prospects after she narrowly won last year.
Democrats on the committee proposed a different congressional map submitted online by a voter keeping the Democratic-leaning north side of Indianapolis in the district, along with much of the city’s northern and western suburbs. Democratic Sen. J.D. Ford of Indianapolis said it would be a politically competitive district.
Redistricting bill sponsor Republican Eric Koch of Bedford objected to the Democratic proposal because it split more of LaPorte County from Lake Michigan areas in the 1st District and had larger differences in population among the nine districts.
The Senate and House are expected to vote Friday on approving the redistricting plan.
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Dear Indiana Republican Legislators,
Thank you for doing your very best to make voting a meaningless exercise by attempting to ensure that we will have as few competitive districts for U.S. Congress and State Legislature as possible. Through your hard work you will continue to have a great impact on discouraging people from participating in the electoral process. Thanks again for all your efforts to make representative democracy in Indiana exactly what it has become.
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Gerrymandering isn’t only undemocratic, it’s also dangerous and can lead to deaths.
The dangers to democracy and civility we’re witnessing today is rooted in the Republican Party’s 2011 “Operation RedMap.” Their goal was to spend a record amount of money in states who’s legislative bodies could be flipped to their favor. Why? “He who controls redistricting can control Congress.” Karl Rove, Republican Strategist
Their efforts were very successful. Especially since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of “Citizens United ” which opened the floodgates to record election spending, turnout was its typically mid-term low from Democrat and left leaning voters and the high turnout from Libertarian ultra conservative voters. It was the perfect storm of money and apathy vs enthusiasm.
Republicans made historic gains in states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania and strengthened their positions in states they already had majorities. They also won 64 US House seats. Taking it from 257 Democrat majority to 242 Republican majorities. This success was completed in the swing states using district maps drawn by Democrats in 2000.
After the districts were drawn in 2011 and used in 2012, Republicans made their positions of power even more secure. Especially in State Legislatures like Indiana where they now hold supermajorities in both houses. In Pennsylvania, Michigan and North Carolina, Republicans hold majorities in their Legislatures even though Democrat candidates received more votes. The state of PA, Democrats got 307,000 more votes, MI Democrats got 200,000 and NC got 79,000.
A lot of the newly elected were members of the ultra conservative Tea Party. Their Libertarian anti-government, anti-immigrant and anti-democracy, theocratic messaging flourished and is now the core belief of the Republican Party. This base of supporters will now “primary” any Republican that doesn’t follow their beliefs. Now their elected will fall in line, even knowing their Base’s beliefs are not true, bad for the country, weakens our democracy and gets people killed.
The Republican Party unwillingness to call out the lies about election fraud, make voting even more of a burden and gerrymandering proves they’ve abandoned democracy. The only thing they care about is gaining and maintaining power over legislation that affects the wealthy, Wall Street, and large corporations.
They don’t care about the Founding Fathers, Constitution, debt, illegal immigration, CRT being taught in schools or women getting abortions. Stuff like that is just red meat to get people to vote for them. The majority of people don’t support their efforts to return to the 1900’s when capitalists were free to do as they wished no matter the negative consequences to people and workers health and safety, the economy, and the environment.
This is why the majority of all voters support President Biden’s infrastructure bill and spending bills and the raising of taxes to actually pay for them. These policies target the people. If you look at the policies Republicans push, pass and add as amendments, they only benefit the top.
So, to be able to continue doing so because geopolitical demographics are quickly falling out of their favor, they’re doing everything they can to stay in power. Even if their efforts turn this county into a crony capitalist theocratic authoritarian country. As long as their Authoritarian is in power, it’s fine with them.
With the voting bills and maps Indiana Republicans have passed, it looks like they’re getting a head start pushing this country towards ones like Russia, Turkey, Philippines, Hungary, Iran, Poland, and Venezuela to name a few.
However, gerrymandering doesn’t prevent them from losing seats for statewide offices and the US Senate.