July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Bosma's district reform plan has merit (01/19/06)
Editorial
The most intriguing legislative proposal to surface in the still-young session of the Indiana General Assembly wouldn’t cost taxpayers any money.
But it would cost legislators and their political parties real power, and that makes it a long shot.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, unveiled a plan this week that would remove the drawing of legislative district boundaries from political control and place the issue in the hands of a bipartisan commission.
When those boundary lines are re-drawn every 10 years, there’s always a huge political tussle, with the party that wins control of the House or the Senate in a census year getting the prize.
That’s why the legislative boundaries look like a jigsaw puzzle created by a demented drunk. Lines are routinely drawn to protect incumbents and minimize the opportunities for challengers; that’s the way it is no matter which party is making the maps.
For instance, House District 33’s boundaries were re-drawn to reach over into traditionally Democratic Delaware County to pick up votes that were beneficial to then-incumbent State Rep. Ron Liggett.
There’s nothing shady about the process and certainly nothing illegal. But it does have the impact of making legislative races less competitive and allowing incumbents to become more entrenched.
Bosma’s proposal takes a different approach.
He suggests creating a five-member bipartisan commission chaired by the chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.
The commission would draw up boundary lines which would result in compact districts, with House and Senate districts overlapping so that there would only be two House districts in each Senate district. It would also be illegal for the commission to use political data, such as voting records and the home addresses of incumbents when putting the maps together.
It’s a refreshing proposal, something which could represent real reform and result in a legislature more responsive to voters’ concerns.
For it to win approval, however, leaders of both parties would have to be willing to give up power. And that’s something truly rare in the world of politics. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
But it would cost legislators and their political parties real power, and that makes it a long shot.
House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, unveiled a plan this week that would remove the drawing of legislative district boundaries from political control and place the issue in the hands of a bipartisan commission.
When those boundary lines are re-drawn every 10 years, there’s always a huge political tussle, with the party that wins control of the House or the Senate in a census year getting the prize.
That’s why the legislative boundaries look like a jigsaw puzzle created by a demented drunk. Lines are routinely drawn to protect incumbents and minimize the opportunities for challengers; that’s the way it is no matter which party is making the maps.
For instance, House District 33’s boundaries were re-drawn to reach over into traditionally Democratic Delaware County to pick up votes that were beneficial to then-incumbent State Rep. Ron Liggett.
There’s nothing shady about the process and certainly nothing illegal. But it does have the impact of making legislative races less competitive and allowing incumbents to become more entrenched.
Bosma’s proposal takes a different approach.
He suggests creating a five-member bipartisan commission chaired by the chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court.
The commission would draw up boundary lines which would result in compact districts, with House and Senate districts overlapping so that there would only be two House districts in each Senate district. It would also be illegal for the commission to use political data, such as voting records and the home addresses of incumbents when putting the maps together.
It’s a refreshing proposal, something which could represent real reform and result in a legislature more responsive to voters’ concerns.
For it to win approval, however, leaders of both parties would have to be willing to give up power. And that’s something truly rare in the world of politics. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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