FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Rachel Barnhart
National Media Strategist, RepresentUs
rbarnhart@represent.us
(413) 333-5656
- Gerrymandering a huge issue in U.S. in 2020 as states get ready to draw new lines
- VA lawmakers have until March 7 to put anti-gerrymandering amendment on ballot
- Democrats who once supported bipartisan-backed measure are now waffling
FLORENCE, MASS. (February 27, 2020): One of the first and largest gerrymandering fights of 2020 is at a critical point in Virginia. Lawmakers have until March 7—when their session ends—to pass an anti-gerrymandering state constitutional amendment that would get rid of unfair district lines. The amendment passed the legislature last session, but it needs to be passed a second time to be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.
Things have changed since the amendment first passed, as Democrats flipped the legislature. Although the measure has already passed the State Senate this session, Democratic members of the House of Delegates have not acted. They want a watered-down bill that would likely keep gerrymandered districts.
This shocking development threatens to saddle Virginians with non-competitive districts that carve up their communities for the next decade. The USC Schwarzenegger Institute recently found that Virginia had the worst partisan gerrymandering among all 50 states. The amendment would establish a bipartisan commission that is made up of half citizens and half legislators to address this critical issue.
“There is great urgency to get this done by March 7. Redistricting happens only once every decade. We cannot afford to lose this opportunity. Otherwise, politicians will pick their voters and voters will be stuck in districts that rob them of fair choices,” said Brian Cannon, Executive Director of OneVirginia2021, which has been leading the anti-gerrymandering effort in Virginia.
This is a pivotal year in the fight to unrig our political system. RepresentUs is actively campaigning for anti-gerrymandering measures in states that include Alaska, Missouri, Nevada, and Oklahoma. As legislatures across the country at state and local levels redraw district lines, it’s imperative they put the interests of voters above themselves.
“Gerrymandering is an abuse of power by politicians that rigs the system against voters. This is just the latest attempt that seeks to keep power in the hands of partisans, not with everyday Americans,” said Renaldo Pearson, RepresentUs Director of External Affairs.
RepresentUs is hosting a National Phone Bank Day on March 5 to combat gerrymandering. We also urge citizens to join our organization to help fight gerrymandering throughout 2020.
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RepresentUs is the nation’s leading right-left anti-corruption group, bringing together conservatives, progressives and everyone in between to pass anti-corruption laws in cities and states around the country.
Redistricting2021 from Public Square Media on Vimeo