Independent Redistricting in Delaware and the Republicans Hate It

Filed in Delaware by on April 10, 2017

For a party that hates government so much, the GOP sure love to muck about it in. Bryan Townsend has written a bill that would take the politics out of redistricting as he says, “Voters should choose their elected officials; elected officials shouldn’t choose their voters.”

Of course, knobheads like Greg Lavelle and Colin Bonini are against it. I guess you don’t want Muslims in your district, eh, Bonini?

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Comments (8)

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  1. bamboozer says:

    Typical response, in their hearts Delaware’s Republicans yearn to restrict voters and gerrymander the hell out of districts like their big brothers in Washington. Independent non partisan redistricting is sorely needed here, and above all, in Washington.

  2. mediawatch says:

    @Bam …
    You’re half right. You’re correct about Republicans … but all the redistricting is carried out at the state level, not in Washington. We just don’t see it here, in terms of its impact on Congress, because all we’ve got is one Congressional district.

  3. Aurochs says:

    They’re against it because… they feel it insults their intelligence? What?

    They literally have no argument except “this takes power away from the legislature,” which is the whole fucking point.

  4. chris says:

    The only question that matters is- Do Val and Pete support this in House or will they kill it ? The Republicans don’t even matter in the House. Their opposition is largely moot.

  5. Yep. That IS the question. As predicted, it’s in their House Administration Committee.

    It either gets out of their committee, or it doesn’t. I doubt that anyone’s petitioning that baby out of committee b/c the purpose of the bill is to take the General Assembly out of the redistricting equation.

    As Captain Obvious would say, “It is not in human nature to willingly give up power.”

    My prediction? It gets buried.

  6. SussexAnon says:

    Years ago Pete supported this idea. Not sure where he is now.

  7. Previous independent redistricting proposals were independent in name only. Legislative leadership would have named the members, hence it was not independent. Others would have done the Caucuses’ bidding.

    This is different in that legislators would really lose control of the redrawing of their districts. That’s why I seriously doubt that it will pass.

    I’ve been wrong before, of course, but I’m pretty much always right when it comes to predicting that legislators will put their own electoral interests over doing what’s right.

  8. chris says:

    Yes, doubtful Pete will give up any control unless hes retiring in next few years and won’t care. Senate R’s hoping they can flip a seat in 2018 or 2020 and then they will really be in catbird seat drawing their own districts.