From the Guardian:
Republicans tried to rig the vote in Michigan – but ‘political novices’ just defeated them
Michigan voters have enacted a non-partisan apportionment process to end Republican extreme gerrymandering.
In 2017, the group drafted the measure to give redistricting authority to 13 Michigan residents – four Democrats, four Republicans and five non-affiliated voters, instead of lawmakers. More than 2.5 million Michigan voters approved the measure to amend the Michigan constitution and create the commission last year. |
By the way, the Republicans never hid their intent for permanent rule: like cartoon villians they, again, bragged about their efforts.
And the GOP lawmakers were not subtle: emails made public last year revealed a Republican aide bragging about cramming “Dem garbage” into certain Michigan districts in 2011, as they drew the current electoral boundaries. |
And, of course, the party of anti-democracy is fighting the law in court, under the claim that the non-partisan requirements discriminate against people based on political affiliation. (For people who don't get the joke, we are talking about the defense of gerrymandered districts intended to discriminate against political affiliation!)
One would hope this effort to protect democracy survives a Supreme Court challenge:
Even the supreme court chief justice, John Roberts, who wrote earlier this year that federal courts can’t do anything to fix partisan gerrymandering, has held up the Michigan effort as a pathway for fixing the problem. |
However, I'm with Kagan in doubting the conservatives' sincerity when they pointed toward voter initiatives as a possible solution to gerrymandering.
I'm still curious, though, about what our local conservatives feel about the issue.
Do they think that gerrymandering is fair and not a big deal?
Do they think that it's a violation of democratic norms but the Republicans have no choice but to do what it takes to shutdown the "Dem scum"?
Or will they oppose such clear anti-democratic moves even when it's the Republicans that engage in them?
For this generation of far-right nationalists, religion is not a question of ethical conduct; it is purely about identity and peoplehood. -- Jan-Werner Müller