Redrawing the lines in Maryland
Baltimore Sun Editorial - September 5, 2010 

2010 election stakes: Drawing a line

In this timely editorial the author points out how computers have assisted the gerrymandering process - and disadvantaged voters. 

Why is Congress so doggone political?
Item from the Houston Chronicle by Bill King has some of the answers to that question.
King: Gerrymandering to blame for polarizing Congress

My viewpoint is pretty much the same as it has been all along, gerrymandering would be OK if more political ideologies were represented and USA had more Congressional Districts to accommodate the vast assortment of ideologies. Bill King makes some really good points about the results we are all living with these days and he did something I never thought about doing before, he looked up some Primary voting history from gerrymandered districts.

He touches on the problem of being an independent voter and not being allowed to vote in your state primary. And therein lies another problem he did not write about: independent voters are actually part of the problem because we never hear from these voters when it really matters - at the Primary level.

Truth in ballot language required in Florida

The Gainesville Sun - Editorial tells how the court settled the matter.
Fooling the voters

David Pepper for Auditor of the State of Ohio
Today, I received an email from David Pepper's campaign staff that offers an opportunity to read his plan for improving things here in Ohio. They call this plan,
"The Pepper Plan" which is memorable. And just like the spice we use at the dinner table, this plan covers the target zones with very little spillover.

I was glad to see that point # 10 of his ten point plan offers something to correct our gerrymandering problem. If elected our state Auditor, Pepper will hold one of the 5 seats on the apportionment board. I thought his plan to correct some of the gerrymandering problems shows that he understands the problem and the consequences of doing nothing. Read entire 10 point plan here

Beneficiaries of Gerrymandering fight back


Beware FAIR's and Feuer's Foists by Paul Hatfield
While Berman is attempting to return redistricting to partisan politicians through Proposition 27, the other arm of the pincer is Proposition 25. ......
.......Our current districts are handcuffs .......

 Political Junkie - by Ken Rudin
With Redistricting Approaching, New Focus on Gubernatorial Races
"...... On Thursday's "Morning Edition" on NPR, Peter Overby and I  (Ken Rudin) will be there to walk you through what's at stake.  I (Rudin) will be on to talk about the individual gubernatorial races and discuss their importance, and Peter will follow with a piece on the roles played by the Democratic and Republican governors associations (the DGA and RGA) and how they are becoming major players in national politics.
The segment begins at 6:10 a.m. Eastern and will be repeated every two hours, until you get sick of listening to it. ...... Read More


Office of University Communications University of Nebraska-Lincoln 
Released 8/23/10 By Steve Smith
Protect 'communities of interest' when drawing new House districts

Florida Justices react skeptically to redistricting amendment
Florida's high court heard arguments on three separate constitutional amendments drafted by the Legislature and removed from the Nov. 2 ballot because judges found them misleading.....Leon County Circuit Judge James Shelfer concluded last month that Amendment 7 was misleading, noting it took him three days to figure out that the amendment would supersede every other standard for redistricting. Specifically, it would allow lawmakers to lump together in districts communities of racial and language-minorities, as well as "communities of common interest."

Orlando Sentinel by Aaron Deslatte August 18, 2010

Ohio Candidates talk redistricting | Columbus Dispatch Politics by Jim Siegel August 14, 2010

"Regardless of who wins, those who really want to change the way legislative districts are drawn face two major challenges: They must deflect pressure from party leaders who want districts drawn in their favor; and they must agree with one another on guidelines for drawing districts......"

Redistrict plan dies from lack of accord

Ohio State University professor said it would have been the best redistricting proposal in the United States.

If so, it's now the nation's best dead redistricting proposal - and there is plenty of blame to spread around the Ohio Statehouse.

Less gerrymandering + more Representatives = better government?
Miller-McCune Online February 23, 2010
by Emily Badger Do gerrymanders come in shades of red and blue
Scholars assess whether the widely accepted notion that the current political polarization in the U.S. is due in part to ’safe’ political districts is accurate.

Miller-McCune Online September 17, 2009
by Lee Drutman Is the House of Representatives too small?
The U.S. House of Representatives has been at 435 members since 1911, when the country was a third of its current population. Research suggests that districts may now be getting too big for adequate representation.