Sen. Hume responds to Republican redistricting and education proposals

Senator Tallian responds to Republican map proposals

Week 15 in review at the Indiana General Assembly

As the legislature moves into its final weeks, the pace has accelerated. Work on the state’s two-year budget plan and the completion of drawing new boundaries for the state’s legislative and congressional districts has intensified.

Joint House-Senate conference committees also have begun to meet to work out differences in bills that have moved through both chambers. Including two members appointed from each chamber and each political party, these committees work to develop compromise language when two different versions of a bill exist. Once a compromise is approved by all four members, the new language must gain approval of both chambers before advancing to the governor for final consideration.

The following brief report summarizes some of this week’s activities in the State Senate.

Senator Arnold responds to Republican map proposals

House Republicans release proposed maps

This afternoon, the House Republicans released their proposals for the state House of Representatives district maps. As in the Senate Elections committee, the House Elections and Apportionment committee recessed and no public input was taken. The committee will meet again on Wednesday morning.

A view of the House Republicans proposed house district map

View a more detailed version of the proposed House map>>

Senate Republicans release their redistricting map proposals

This morning during the Senate Elections committee, the Senate Republicans released their proposed state senate and congressional maps.  The committee recessed, and no public input was taken.  The committee will reconvene on Wednesday afternoon to hear testimony.

 

Senate Republican proposed senate districts

Senate Republican proposed congressional districts

A view of Marion County senate districts under the Republican proposed maps

To view the Senate Democrats’ proposed Good Government state senate and congressional maps, go to www.Redistricting.IN.gov.

Video: Good Government Redistricting proposals released

Senator Broden discusses “Good Government” redistricting proposals

Senator Arnold talks redistricting

Senate Democrats first to release statewide redistricting proposals

During a Wednesday morning press conference, Senate Democrats unveiled the first district proposals of the 2011 redistricting process. Under their “Good Government Plan,” the Democrats released their first draft of proposed statewide maps for State Senate and U.S. Congressional districts, adhering to public calls for compact, simplified districts.

Current and proposed maps :

• Good Government State Senate (proposed)

• Good Government Senate – Marion Co. Focus (proposed)

• Good Government Comparisons

• Current State Senate

• Good Government U.S. Congressional (proposed)

• Current U.S. Congressional

State Senator Tim Lanane (D-Anderson), the Ranking Democrat on the Senate Elections Committee and the caucus lead on redistricting, said the Good Government Plan adheres to three primary principles: compactness, communities of interest and competitiveness. Lanane said proposed maps are based on a regional approach with an emphasis on logical boundaries and keeping neighborhoods, towns and other communities together.

For example, Senate District 35 currently includes portions of Marion, Morgan and Johnson counties. The district proposed under the Democrats’ Good Government map is wholly within Wayne Township in Marion County.

Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson (D-Ellettsville) added that the caucus is committed to protecting the public’s interest by proposing easy-to-understand districts and giving the members of the public an opportunity to respond and provide input to the proposals.

SEN. SIMPSON: “Today, we’re proposing the first draft of some maps…”

Download: Simpson.GoodGovernment3C.33011.MP3

SEN. LANANE: “You do have to remember, this is not an exact science…”

Download: Lanane.ExplainsCompactCommunitiesInterest.33011.MP3

SEN. LANANE: “Current Senate District 20, it sort of meanders…”

Download: Lanane.ExplainsDist20Dist35.33011.MP3

SEN. LANANE: “When you look at the two maps with the current congressional districts…”

Download: Lanane.CongressionalMaps.33011.MP3

SEN. SIMPSON: “Our reason for putting our maps out now …”

Download: Simpson.EncouragingPublicInput.33011.MP3

SEN. SIMPSON: “Let me just inject a note of reality …”

Download: Simpson.FairMapsFairInput.33011.MP3

FULL AUDIO OF GOOD GOVERNMENT PLAN PRESS CONFERENCE:

SEN. SIMPSON: “For many years the Senate Democrat Caucus…”

Download: Caucus.GoodGovernmentMapsPCFull.33011.MP3

Senate Democrats will make the Good Government map data files available for download on their redistricting website at www.SenateDemocrats.IN.gov/redistricting. More information on the Senate Democrats’ Good Government Plan, including the proposed maps, and an opportunity for constituents to engage and provide feedback is available on the site.

Constituent input is also being sought at www.facebook.com/INRedistricting and a public discussion is encouraged on Twitter using #INMaps hash tag.

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