The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Nov. 3, 2025

Ohio voters, who voted down a citizen-led independent redistricting commission in 2024, are seeing the consequences, as Ohio’s politician-led commission gerrymanders two more GOP congressional seats.  Democrats say they had no choice but to compromise.

Unlike the other states gerrymandering to game the outcome of the 2026 midterms for control of the U.S. House, Ohio’s constitution requires redistricting after four years when a map isn’t passed with bipartisan support.  But Republicans, who already hold 10 of Ohio’s 15 congressional seats, further gerrymandered the maps to give the GOP a 12 to 3 advantage.

While the Assembly leadership points to a bipartisan unanimous vote in the five-member commission, it came with bare knuckle negotiations.  According to reporting by the Ohio Capital Journal, in return for retaining three of their five current seats and protecting incumbents, Democrats would not back a citizen ballot question to repeal the map.   With a Republican governor, state house, and state senate, Democrats say they had no choice.   Voters giving testimony at hearings on the map overwhelmingly condemned it.

The League of Women Voters OH said in a statement, “The public was shut out, the process rigged, and incumbents favored.  The resulting Congressional map still doesn’t reflect the will of the voters of Ohio.” 

The map is expected to be approved by the Ohio Assembly, and signed by Governor Mike DeWine. 

We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Princeton Gerrymandering Project – Current Congressional Map, prior to recent proposal

American Democracy Minute – Polling Shows Ohio Voters Lean Toward Passing Citizen-Led Redistricting Commission Ballot Measure, Despite Disinformation from State Officials
American Democracy Minute – High Turnout of Conservative Voters Also Led to Losses for Democracy Reform in Ohio, Nevada, Colorado and Potentially Alaska
Ohio Capital Journal – New Ohio congressional redistricting map introduced to criticism, but may have support to pass
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio Redistricting Commission unanimously passes congressional map furthering GOP advantage 
League of Women Voters OH – Statement on OH Redistricting Commission’s Congressional Map

Groups Taking Action:

League of Women Voters OH, Citizens Not Politicians, Fair Districts OH, 

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #Gerrymandering #Ohio #MikeDeWine #RiggedElection

The post Ohio General Assembly to Vote on a Further Gerrymandered Congressional Map Put Forward by Politician-Led Redistricting Commission appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for June 25, 2025

For most states, redistricting is a once-a-decade event, perhaps extended by some litigation.  For Ohio and Texas, redistricting may turn into an ongoing partisan battle as both states consider interim redistricting as the midterms approach. 

First to Ohio, where a state law requires voting district maps passed WITHOUT bipartisan support to be redrawn after only four years. The 2020 maps ping-ponged between a politician-led redistricting commission, the state supreme court, and the legislature. In 2024, voters unfortunately rejected a citizen-led redistricting commission ballot initiative, after Ohio’s Secretary of State and Ballot Commission disingenuously suggested the ballot measure itself promoted gerrymandering.   The Ohio Capital Journal reports that the legislature set a deadline for the end of September, and that pro-voter groups are already preparing alternative fair maps to contrast the likely highly-partisan state-drawn maps. 

The Texas Tribune reports that the state’s Republican congressional delegation met June 9th to discuss how to redistrict some of its 38 congressional districts before the midterms to help preserve GOP control of Congress.  A 2024 study showed current maps gerrymandered an additional five-seats for Republicans. 

June 23rd, Texas Governor Greg Abbott called a special session of the legislature to address six bills he vetoed BUT it did NOT include a request for interim redistricting – for now.   The current makeup of Congress is 220 Republicans and 213 Democrats.

We have state reporting linked at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:

Brennan Center for Justice – (2024)  How Gerrymandering Tilts the 2024 Race for the House 
American Democracy Minute – Ohio SOS Under Fire Again, This Time for Sabotaging the Ballot Measure Description for a Citizen-Led Redistricting Commission
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio voters reject Issue 1, leaving politicians in control over map-making process
Ohio Capital Journal – Ohio U.S. Congressional redistricting is on the agenda for 2025, with advocates preparing
Statehouse News Bureau – Once budget is done, Ohio lawmakers will return to Congressional redistricting again
Texas Public Radio – (2024) Gerrymandering gives GOP a five seat advantage in Texas, study says
Texas Tribune – Texas’ GOP congressional delegation meets to discuss redrawing districts ahead of midterms
Texas Tribune – Gov. Greg Abbott orders special legislative session after vetoing 26 bills 

Groups Taking Action:

Citizens Not Politicians, Common Cause OH, Fair Maps Texas Action Committee

Register or Check Your Voter Registration:

U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State

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#News #Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #Texas #Ohio

The post Will Texas and Ohio Redraw Congressional Districts Before the 2026 Midterms? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for July 19, 2024

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Utah voters passed the Better Boundaries Proposition 4 in 2018, setting standards for competitive, nonpartisan redistricting.  Utah’s legislature, in an effort to retain partisan power, gutted that amendment.  The state supreme court just ruled for the voters.

Proposition 4 enacted the Utah Independent Redistricting Commission and Standards Act.  It explicitly prohibited dividing districts in a manner to favor or disfavor any incumbent, candidate, or political party.  It also minimized the splitting of municipalities into different districts; required that districts be geographically compact and contiguous; and followed “communities of interest” standards. 

In response, the GOP-dominated legislature severely amended the statute with Senate Bill 200, removing the ban on partisan gerrymandering and clawing back its redistricting power.  In maps drawn for the 2020 redistricting cycle, liberal strongholds were diluted in Salt Lake County and other areas to preserve that dominance.

In 2022, the League of Women Voters Utah and other democracy groups challenged the maps, and questioned the legislature’s authority to override the people’s vote.   On July 11th, the court ruled that the legislature could NOT override the intent of the voters, only change it to codify or enhance the amendment.

Justices returned the case to a lower court, but said they may address the partisan gerrymandering portion of the case should it not be resolved by the lower court and legislature.   We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
BallotPedia – Utah Proposition 4, Independent Advisory Commission on Redistricting Initiative (2018)

Utah News Dispatch – Utah Supreme Court hands big win to plaintiffs in anti-gerrymandering lawsuit
Utah Supreme Court (via Democracy Docket) – League of Women Voters Utah v. Utah State Legislature
Democracy Docket – Utah Supreme Court Reinstates Challenge to Repeal of Anti-Gerrymandering Initiative

Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters Utah, Mormon Women for Ethical Government, ACLU of Utah

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #Utah #UtahNews #BetterBoundaries #Proposition4 #FairMaps #NoGerrymandering

The post Utah Voters Fought Back After Their Fair Voting Districts Constitutional Amendment was Gutted by an Anti-Voter Legislature.  They Won.  appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Nov. 20, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

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.

New York’s commission was set up with 10 members:  2 appointed by the assembly speaker; 2 by the assembly minority Leader, 2 by the senate president, and 2 by the senate minority leader.  Two other nonpartisan members are chosen by the other 8.  The commission, however, is only advisory. The Assembly can vote down Commission maps twice, then must create its own.   

On its inaugural run, the commission deadlocked. When Democrats took control of both houses of the legislature, it rejected both maps drawn by the commission, and drew its own gerrymandered maps.  Republicans sued, and a court-appointed special master drew the maps used in the 2022 midterms, giving Republicans four additional seats in Congress.

November 5th, a seven-judge panel heard an appeal claiming the redistricting commission didn’t fulfill its constitutional duty, and must be allowed to redraw the maps.  The decision, expected shortly, could impact the balance of the U.S. House.   Could this mess have been avoided?  We’ll describe California’s successful approach in our next report.

We have more on New York’s ill fated redistricting process at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Politico – New York court hears arguments to redraw the state’s congressional maps in 2024
Spectrum News – As New York redistricting maps again head to Court of Appeals, a recap of how we got here
Democracy Docket – Will New York Have A New Congressional Map For 2024?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – Compare Different Versions Drawn by the Redistricting Commission, State Legislature & Special Master
FiveThirtyEight – Competitiveness of New York’s Congressional Map
Brennan Center for Justice – What Went Wrong with New York’s Redistricting

Groups Taking Action:
Common Cause NY, League of Women Voters NY

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #NewYorkPolitics

The post Will an Appeal Give New York’s Bipartisan Redistricting Committee Another Chance to Draw Fair Maps? appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Sept. 14, 2023

Today’s Script

(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)

With Court Cases and Elections Looming, the Wisconsin Assembly Scrambles to Keep its Gerrymandered Voting Districts

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate have a 66% veto-proof supermajority. Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly are two votes short of a supermajority.  Yet the Governor of Wisconsin is a Democrat.  How is that possible?   Gerrymandering.  And the majority of Wisconsin’s legislators want to keep it that way.

But storm clouds are gathering over what the Princeton Gerrymandering Project calls “some of the most extreme partisan gerrymanders in the United States.” 

Power in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which accepted the legislature’s gerrymandered maps in 2022, shifted August 1st when liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz was seated.  Protasiewicz spoke openly about Wisconsin’s gerrymandering during the election, prompting Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to threaten impeachment unless she recuses herself from gerrymandering cases.  A case contesting the state’s legislative district maps was filed the day Protasiewicz took office, but impeachment would require a two-thirds vote of both houses, and it’s unlikely in the Assembly. 

So September 12th, Speaker Vos proposed a theoretically nonpartisan state bureau for creating redistricting maps, based on a system in Iowa, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The catch? The Wisconsin Assembly must approve the maps, and if there’s a deadlock, the Assembly would draw the maps after all.  Governor Tony Evers has already condemned the plan. 

We have links to local reporting, the new proposal, and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Associated Press – GOP lawmaker wins Wis. Senate seat, creating supermajority
Wisconsin Examiner – Special election moves Republicans closer to Assembly supermajority
PBS Wisconsin/Wisconsin Watch – Wisconsin’s Assembly maps are more skewed than ever — what happens in 2023?
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – Wisconsin
PBS Wisconsin/AP – Lawsuit asks new liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court to toss Republican-drawn legislative district maps
PBS Wisconsin/ AP – Redistricting plaintiffs object to Republican attempt to boot Protasiewicz from cases
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Vos backs turning turning over drawing of election maps to nonpartisan agency in bid to bypass lawsuits

Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause WI, Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
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#Democracy  #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #StopGerrymandering #WisconsinPolitics

The post With Court Cases and Elections Looming, the Wisconsin Assembly Scrambles to Protect its Gerrymandered Voting Districts appeared first on American Democracy Minute.