Importance of attending the Redistricting meeting on 09/29/21

GENERAL ASSEMBLY JOINT REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE
PUBLIC HEARING ON REDISTRICTING
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 at 5:00PM

(Show up for the hearing. If you get there an hour early at 3 to 4pm you can sign up to speak onsite)

Location:

UNC WILMINGTON
Lumina Theater
Fisher Student Center
615 Hamilton Drive
Wilmington, NC

Submit public comment online https://www.ncleg.gov/requestforcomments/38

Redistricting has been a constant, never-ending battle in the State of North Carolina, with numerous lawsuits filed on the topic over just the past decade, and even more when looking back at the time Democrats were drawing the maps. This battle has been a massive burden on taxpayer dollars and has only caused increased voter confusion across the state. Over the past 10 years alone, the Winston-Salem Journal has reported that our State has had to spend roughly seven million dollars defending lawsuits attacking the Legislature’s redistricting efforts. These blatantly partisan attacks need to stop, and I hope that the adopted process and resulting maps drawn by the General Assembly this year will stand without challenge.

The criteria that the General Assembly has put forward this year is fair and direct.

• It follows the most recent court-ordered redistricting process.
• That process was widely acclaimed as the most fair and transparent redistricting process ever in North Carolina by Democrats, Republicans, and really, everyone.
• While all of the proposed criteria are important, there are several that really demonstrate the Legislature’s commitment to fairness.
• First, the General Assembly plans to keep most communities together, including, to the extent possible, following county and municipal boundaries.
• Second, the General Assembly has committed that “data identifying the race of individuals or voters shall not be used in the construction or consideration of districts.”
• Third, the General Assembly has also committed that “partisan considerations and election results data shall not be used in the drawing of districts.”

Redistricting is a constant, never-ending battle in the State of North Carolina, with over 10 years of continuous litigation on the topic.

• Harper v. Lewis
• Stephenson v. Bartlett
• Common Cause v. Lewis
• N.C. State Conf. of the NAACP v. Moore
• Dickson v. Rucho

Redistricting Criteria

The full criteria are likely to be adopted by September. It will follow the guidelines set forth by the 2019 court-approved plans that Democratic members of the State Senate have claimed are “the most transparent plans in the history of the state”.

Important Criteria

1. Keeping communities together including following county and municipal boundaries
2. “The Committees shall draw legislative districts within county groupings as required by Stephenson v. Bartlett, 355 N.C. 354, 562 S.E. 2d 377 (2002) (Stephenson I), Stephenson v. Bartlett, 357 N.C. 301, 582 S.E.2d 247 (2003)

(Stephenson II), Dickson v. Rucho, 367 N.C. 542, 766 S.E.2d 238 (2014) (Dickson I) and Dickson v. Rucho, 368 N.C. 481, 781 S.E.2d 460 (2015) (Dickson II).”

1. Within county groupings, county lines shall not be traversed except as authorized by Stephenson I, Stephenson II, Dickson I, and Dickson II.
2. The Committees may consider municipal boundaries when drawing districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.
3. Not using racial data
4. Data identifying the race of individuals or voters shall not be used in the construction or consideration of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House, and Senate plans.
5. Not using partisanship data
6. Partisan considerations and election results data shall not be used in the drawing of districts in the 2021 Congressional, House and Senate plans.

Set forth in the August 12th, 2021 meeting of the Senate Committee on Redistricting, the main criteria includes

1. Equal Population
2. Contiguity
3. Counties, Groupings, and Traversals
4. Racial Data will not be used
5. Voting Districts should only be split when necessary
6. Compactness
7. Municipal Boundaries
8. Election Data- Partisan considerations and election result data shall not be used for the 2021 redraw of congressional, State House, and State Senate districts
9. Member Residence may be considered
10. Community Consideration

Here are some good things in redistricting process

1. We applauded the Openness and transparency: The General Assembly has committed to drawing maps during opening during redistricting committee meetings and to listen to public input as they are through these hearings.
2. The General Assembly should be commended for banning the use of No racial or political data: Banning the use of that data helps control against gerrymandering.
3. Their strict adherence to the Stephensen criteria and respect for the North Carolina Constitutions’ whole county provision is another strong step to create fair and legal districts.
4. We think it is a strong step to improving the process by Not unnecessarily dividing counties in congressional districts: This helps keep our basic political units together for representation and prevents districts from taking some of the extremely odd shapes they have taken in the past.
5. Communities of interest do not dominate the process: There is no common understanding of what a community of interest is, so a community of interest is in the eye of the beholder. It is appropriate that claims of communities of interest are only considered after other redistricting criteria have been satisfied.
6. We note here in public that North Carolina’s whole county provision, the uneven distribution of partisan voters across the state will result in districts and electrical outcomes some people do not like.  That is inevitable.  An open, fair, and constitutional process does not guarantee political outcomes everyone will like. But it does guarantee that everyone can be heard and work to influence the process. We are appreciative of that.

Here is how you can join the fight in New Hanover County:

1. Visit our webpage at newhanovergop.org and see what your GOP is doing.
2. Subscribe to our newsletter and arm yourself with knowledge.
3. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay connected with fellow patriots.
4. Sign up to join our team. We need all kinds of volunteers!
5. Consider making a $10 contribution. For the price of a few cups of coffee, you can help us support conservative causes in our backyard.
6. We have acquired a home for the NHC GOP Headquarters Office. We need your support. The first 100 Patriots to contribute $50 or more monthly will have their names engraved on a plaque to be proudly and permanently displayed in our New Headquarters. Or you can contribute any amount to help us build our war room; no matter how small.
7. We have also purchased a large database and analytical tool that will allow us to more easily communicate with our conservative friends, and complete numerous types of demographic data analysis to assist with our messaging. We also need fiscal support to maintain the use of this system. Like the building fund plaque, the first 100 to contribute $25 or more per month will also have names engraved and placed on a plaque for all to see in our new home.
8. Consider serving on a local Board, Commission, or running for public office. Contact Melissa with our Leadership Development Team for more information about how you can serve.

You are invited to attend the next GOP County Meeting which will be held October 28, 2021, starting at 6:30PM, at the Spring View Baptist Church located at 801 N. College Road.

It is requested that you bring non-perishable food items to the meeting.  If we all pitch in, we can feed many hungry children. Our Thanks.

We want to thank you all and welcome you to join us in this extremely important fight. Thousands of voices are much louder than a few.