American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast

Ohio’s Politician-Led Redistricting Commission Failed. Citizens Are Proposing a Citizen-Led Commission Instead.

November 23, 2023November 23, 2023

Brian is out today, and while this is a repeat of Aug. 15, 2023, earlier this month, the language for Independent Redistricting Commission ballot initiative was greenlighted by the Ohio Ballot Board: With 70% of the vote in 2018, Ohio voters passed a constitutional amendment prohibiting partisan gerrymandering. The state’s redistricting commission and legislature ignored it, and gerrymandered the voting district maps anyway. Citizens are now trying to fix what the politicians won’t.

Oral Arguments Heard by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on Constitutionality of the the State’s Extreme Gerrymandered Maps

November 22, 2023November 23, 2023

After months of campaigning, intrigue, impeachment threats, and partisan hard ball, oral arguments were finally heard November 21st on the constitutionality of extreme gerrymanders in Wisconsin’s state assembly and senate maps.

Radical Federal Court of Appeals Ruling Deals Another Blow to Voters, Democracy Groups and the Voting Rights Act

November 21, 2023November 21, 2023

A Nov. 20th federal appeals court decision ruled that only the U.S. Attorney General can bring a voting rights lawsuit under the Voting Rights Act. The decision, a radical departure from settled law, erects barriers to minority voters seeking fairness in federal court.

Why was California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission Successful, While New York’s Commission Resulted in Gerrymandering & Court Cases?

November 20, 2023November 20, 2023

While New York’s bipartisan redistricting commission struggled, the successful California Citizen Redistricting Commission maps were passed unanimously in 2021 with no litigation. New York’s commission deadlocked, and was overruled by a Democratic-dominated legislature which drew its own gerrymandered maps. Those were later thrown out by the court, and the Congressional map is STILL being contested.

Will an Appeal Give New York’s Bipartisan Redistricting Committee Another Chance to Draw Fair Maps?

November 19, 2023November 19, 2023

In 2014, a New York constitutional amendment created the New York Independent Redistricting Commission. But the redistricting commission lacked both independence and authority, and the 2021 maps ended up in the legislature and ultimately the courts. The Congressional map was in court again last week.