[LWVNM Action] The New Mexico Redistricting Process Needs Sunshine

[dtlars at aol.com]

Ditto! Many thanks, Dick. Jody 

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 On Wednesday, March 25, 2020, haasesusan <haasesusan at gmail.com> wrote:

Good work, Dick.  Susan


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-------- Original message --------From: Richard Mason <dickmasonnm at gmail.com> Date: 3/25/20 10:19 AM (GMT-07:00) To: action at mailman.swcp.com Subject: [LWVNM Action] The New Mexico Redistricting Process Needs Sunshine 

The New Mexico Redistricting Process Needs Sunshine
Letter to the Editor Published in the ABQ Journal March 25, 2020

 

Last week was National Sunshine Week. Initiated in 2005, itis sponsored by the News Leaders Association and the Reporters Committee forFreedom of the Press and is meant to promote open government and public accessto information.  





The League of Women Voters of New Mexico believes that onearea of government that would benefit from more sunshine is the redistrictingprocess that takes place every 10 years following the U.S. census. To that endthe League has launched the Fair Districts for New Mexico Project that now hasover 20 supporting organizations.




New Mexico has a long history of having its redistrictingmaps litigated and decided by the courts. From the 1960 redistricting cycleuntil 1991, New Mexico was forced to get pre-clearance by the US Department ofJustice to assure that the maps approved by the legislature and the governorcomplied with federal standards for fair representation. In 1995, DOJ onceagain required pre-clearance after the 1992 amended maps violated the standards.

The 2001 and 2011 redistricting cycles ended up in the courts. Thecourts ended up setting the districts and it cost the state more than $6million in legal costs. More importantly, it cost an additional loss of public confidence in the politicalprocess.




That is why the Fair Districts for New Mexico Project isrequesting that the Legislative Council create a cross-partisanRedistricting Task Force that would include legislators, public members,representatives from the Governor’s office and the Secretary of State. The taskforce should start meeting in late spring of2020 and report its recommendations to the relevant legislative interimcommittee and to the 2021 Legislature.




New Mexico was one of the last states to create anindependent ethics commission. It should not be one of the last states toinstitute reforms that will make the redistricting process fairer and moretransparent.




Richard Mason
Leader of the Fair Districts for New Mexico Project
League of Women Voters of New Mexico
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