Dana Black: If voters don’t want redistricting, whom is it for?

Recently, the Indiana House Elections and Apportionment Committee held a meeting to discuss House Bill 1032, introduced by Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn. The new redistricted congressional map conveniently divides Marion County, home to the state’s largest city and to a significant number of Democrats, into four districts. Previously, one of the goals of redistricting plans was to keep communities of interest together. This map does the exact opposite.

Indianapolis is the economic engine of the state. The county that brings in the most revenue through business growth, taxes and tourism will find itself competing for resources in the same congressional district as places like Columbus, Jeffersonville, Richmond and Terre Haute. Granted, those are some amazing cities. But their needs do not compare to what is required to sustain Indianapolis. So who wins?

Rep. Cherrish Pryor, D-Indianapolis, asked if race was taken into consideration when the map was drawn to ensure compliance with the 1965 Voting Rights Act. She asked because the targeted counties for this “cracking” plan are the counties with the highest number of Black and brown voters. For those unfamiliar: “Cracking” involves splitting up a concentration of voters with similar interests, values or demographics. Instead of letting these voters elect their preferred candidates, their vote is diluted, and their voting power is spread thin across multiple districts.

Smaltz, in response, stated multiple times that “no consideration was given to that at all.” He also clarified that he didn’t actually create the district maps. The National Republican Redistricting Trust drew the maps. As he continued to defend the maps, Smaltz repeated multiple times, “These maps were specifically drawn for a political advantage.” No kidding?

What was most troubling about the meeting was, of all the speakers, only two were in favor of mid-decade redistricting. When you compare the rallies at the Statehouse, there were significantly more Hoosiers who protested redistricting than those who turned up to support it. Polling of Hoosiers shows the majority of voters do not want mid-decade redistricting. So whom are we doing this for? It is obvious Republicans are ignoring the very people who elected them to office.

Democracy rests on a foundational promise: Those who govern derive their authority from the consent of the governed. When elected officials fail to listen to their constituents, this breaks something essential in the social contract between citizens and their representatives. When these officials ignore the preferences, concerns and needs of their constituents, they undermine the very basis of their authority. Citizens find themselves governed by people who claim to speak for them. The quality of governance itself suffers when officials don’t listen.

The Indiana Republicans surrendered to pressure and relinquished their authority to govern this state. It is very clear: They do not serve Hoosiers. They follow the orders of a 34-count convicted felon who is upside down in the polls because his policies are failing Americans. He drops bombs on boats in the Caribbean under the auspices of stopping the flow of drugs into our country. Simultaneously, he issues a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández, former president of Honduras, who was convicted of smuggling 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.

As former Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann said, “For those who believe you can do this and go home, be forewarned: Hoosiers will remember and may well hold you accountable. If we turn our backs on Washington, Indiana may indeed pay a price. However, there is no right way to do a wrong thing.”•

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Black is former deputy chairwoman for engagement for the Indiana Democratic Party
and a former candidate for the Indiana House. Send comments to [email protected].

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