Redistricting rift growing among Indiana Republicans as return to Statehouse delayed—for now

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25 thoughts on “Redistricting rift growing among Indiana Republicans as return to Statehouse delayed—for now

  1. This redistricting battle is going to be the end of the Indiana GOP. It’s a rift between conservatives & MAGA populists. (Many of the latter, of course, were Obama populists in ’08 and are not loyal to anybody but Trump.)

    Bray is right, though. Redistricting now would be bad for Republicans. To put up a bunch of last-minute candidates in brand new districts that include huge slices of Marion County, Lake County, and college towns, respectively, would be for the GOP to ask to lose more than 2 seats to Dems. Especially if the DNC decided to pump Indiana full of money and/or if redistricting boosts Indiana’s especially poor voter participation. Super short-sighted initiative.

    Braun is obviously taking orders from Washington rather than from Hoosiers, which has been his MO dating back to his time in the US Senate. He’s taking all right steps to lose in 2028.

    1. Your last 2 paragraphs have merit, but the first one is hilarious. Who are these Obama populists that are now loyal to Trump and where would we find one?
      It won’t remotely be the “end of the Indiana GOP”
      It’s currently a bad look, but not to long ago Democrats were rioting and destroying downtown, while demanding to “Defund the Police!!”
      The party seems to have survived just fine. I guess we all have our quirks….

    1. There is a chance that here in Indiana that redistricting won’t even make it past the state Supreme Court. The Indiana Constitution has some pretty clear wording and it would take a lot of legal gymnastics to see midcycle redistricting as anything but illegal.

    2. I don’t think it’s prudent to count on the five Republicans at the Indiana Supreme Court to support that reading

      =====

      According to Article 4, Section 5 of the Indiana Constitution, “The General Assembly elected during the year in which a federal decennial census is taken shall fix by law the number of Senators and Representatives and apportion them among districts according to the number of inhabitants in each district, as revealed by that federal decennial census.”

      In the mid-1990s, when Republicans pushed for redistricting Statehouse districts mid-decade, Democrats argued the constitution does not allow for redrawing maps at any point other than after a census.

      But Helmke feels that reading of the state constitution doesn’t apply to U.S. Congressional districts.

      “There is at least an argument that the Indiana Constitution says you can only redraw the state legislative districts every once a decade. But that does not apply to the Congressional seats,” said Helmke. “They can go ahead and do the Congressional seats now. Legally they can do that.”

      https://www.ibj.com/articles/will-logistics-and-the-courts-stand-in-the-way-of-indianas-redistricting-efforts

  2. “With all the pressure, all the stuff that’s going to come from here forward, this is just in the first inning, so we’re going to see what happens.”

    Yes, let’s see how many more legislators can get swatted. Maybe some more threats from the federal government from Trump that he will take our tax dollars or worse. The Republican Party is increasingly indistinguishable from a crime syndicate.

    Supporters couldn’t get 50 Hoosiers to turn out today. I wonder why people aren’t in a hurry to take orders from Trump these days.

    1. Mike Braun is the one saying a pressure campaign is coming.

      Maybe Indiana’s legislators will handle the pressure better than national Republicans did after January 6th when they declined to bar Trump from holding office again … wonder how many would like a redo on that …

  3. When will Braun admit and disclose what Trump has promised him?? Braun is governor of Indiana and should only concern himself over what is best for Hoosiers. Too many issues to push for infishting among his own party. Perhaps he should step aside as our leader Sto the threats and let the legislature do its job helping all Hoosiers rather than placatings Trumps ego!!!

    1. Promised him or threatened him with?

      You can make the case Braun is doing Trump’s bidding because the federal dollars that flow to Indiana (and we get more from Washington than we send) are at risk. Like the next time we have tornados, sure would be a shame if the federal government declined to help, wouldn’t it?

      Increasingly indistinguishable from a crime syndicate…

    1. I am so sick of hearing this nonsense about “hate-America” Democrats. It is pure Trumpist propaganda intended to divide and demonize anyone not onboard with him. Do you REALLY believe that there are Democrats who go to the trouble of running for and serving in Congress because they hate their native country and actively want to destroy it? They may have different priorities for the government and different ideas for solving problems, but that does not mean they hate America. If you disagree with their policies, the answer is to vote, not demonize, and certainly not try to rig elections to prevent other people from voting for whom they would like to vote.

  4. So, what about that pesky Indiana Constitution????
    The Indiana Constitution provides the framework for redistricting, mandating the Indiana General Assembly to redraw state legislative and congressional districts after each decennial U.S. Census. The process has historically been handled by the General Assembly, which passed new maps in 2021, a year after the census data became available.

    1. That says when they must redistrct, but there is no prohibition that they can do it more often.

      It’s not as clear cut as the section where it says the governor must reside in Indianapolis … a section that was updated in 1998 to remove several other officials but notably left the governor listed.

      Article 5, Section 5.
      (a) The Governor, and the Secretary, Auditor, and Treasurer of State, shall severally keep the public records, books, and papers, in any manner relating to their respective offices, at the seat of government.
      (b) The Governor shall reside at the seat of government.

  5. Today I mostly agree with Joe B., which has become more frequent lately. Ha!
    Bottom line facts, both parties operate like organized crime, both parties use extortion and bribery against their members to fall in line.
    This particular redistricting is about keeping the House for at least 2 more years to avoid the retribution and woke policies we have seen cripple the government in recent years without real policy proposals, plans, and responsible actions. Plus’s defeating or removing Carson here locally keeps me supporting the redistricting!

    1. Kevin, that’s adorable. Since you’re wanting to accuse both sides of not having policy proposals, care to comment on where that Republican healthcare proposal to repeal and replace the ACA is, since Republicans have been promising it for 15 years?

      Republicans are the party of projection.

      Besides, Republicans claim they have majority support. If they truly have majority support, why exactly the rush for mid decade redistricting? Shouldn’t they be reelected by the same voters who gave them Congress and the presidency just two years ago? What are they afraid of?

  6. I would like to ask everybody to listen to the entire speech our senile wannabe authoritarian President just gave to McDonalds employees and franchisees. Complete that task then ask yourself if perhaps Senator Bray and some Republican state Senators may not have a point when they avoid following Trump’s each and every dictate. Hitching your political future to Trump’s cart (one horse with two behinds) rather than listening to their constituents is, I think, becoming politically unwise.

  7. While never ever having been a fan of Mike Pence, Mike Braun pales in comparison to Pence when it come to courage in dealing with Trump.
    Pence literally risked being hanged by the mob that Trump sent for him when he upheld the constitution by certifying the 2020 election.To this day, It is still terrifying to imagine the anarchy in our country that would have followed had he not stood up to Trump on that day.

    Whereas Braun, well you all read the article, what a gutless self serving, weak kneed wimp.

  8. Well governor save money now wants to spend millions of our dollars to hold a special session to please his true lord, Donald Trump, and then for the court battles that are guaranteed to follow. Braun needs to be wearing red, after all he is selling his services to Trump. What a spineless wimp we have in the governor’s office. Where is Mitch?

  9. I know he can’t help himself because he’s an attention whore, but Morales should sit this one out. His real job (when he cares) is responsible for ensuring Indiana’s elections are valid, safe and secure. Taking such a partisan stand is a bad look.

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