Blue Dogs File Bill to Stop Gerrymandering
Blue Dog Democratic Reps. Jim Cooper (Tenn.) and Heath Shuler (N.C.) on Wednesday filed a bill aimed at reforming the redistricting process in the states. The Democrats, who file similar legislation every Congress, said they want to stop political gerrymandering as every district is redrawn this year.
The measure, the Redistricting Transparency Act, would require states to hold open hearings and use a website to increase public participation in the process.
“Democrats and Republicans have been in cahoots about this for decades,” Cooper said in a statement. “Both want to minimize the number of competitive districts. … This abuse of the one-person, one-vote principle enables politicians to draw districts so bizarre that you need a GPS device to locate them.”