Most people think that the idea of redistricting is one that has no bearing on most of our daily lives and only really impacts a small group of people. However, our guests today would argue that we are facing our third week of government shutdown because of the way many of our US Congressional seats have been redistricted and that as a result, the people who hold office in certain districts can act without a fear of not getting re-elected because of the way their district borders have been re-drawn. Our panel will talk about what redistricting is and about how to do it in a way that is fair to everyone, and what a bi-partisan group of people in North Carolina is doing to try and make what they call "fair redistricting" a law.
Guests
Harry Taylor - Author of You Can't Get There From Here, about gerrymandering. He also ran for US Congress in 2008 against Sue Myrick in District 9.
Mitch Kokai - Communications Director for the John Locke Foundation
Jane Pinsky - Executive Director of North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform
- Text of the House Bill
- There will be a “Fair Redistricting” public forum Wednesday Oct 16 at 7pm at Caldwell Presbyterian Church on E. 5th Street in Charlotte.