CHARGE NEWSLETTER

Coalition Hub for Advancing Redistricting & Grassroots Engagement: Providing grassroots organizers the tools and information they need to engage in the redistricting process and fight for fair representation for marginalized communities.

Resources and Announcements

• In North Carolina, a three judge panel is on day 3 of arguments in litigation challenging the state house and senate and congressional maps enacted by the legislature. The maps are being challenged by plaintiffs including Common Cause, individual voters, the League of Conservation Voters as extreme partisan gerrymanders that also violate North Carolina’s constitutional protections against the dilution of minority votes. Common Cause is represented by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. You can watch a recording of the trial here: Days ONE, TWO, and THREE.
• The Minnesota judicial panel tasked with drawing districts in the likely event that the Minnesota Legislature fails to complete this task held oral arguments yesterday. All parties testified about their maps in the first session and critiqued other parties’ maps in the second session. Watch the first session and the second session.

News

• National: 'They know where Black voters live': Challengers say 'race blind' redistricting maps are anything but. CNN. December 29, 2021.
• Arkansas: Federal lawsuit challenges state House of Representatives redistricting as racially discriminatory. Arkansas Times. December 29, 2021.
• Kentucky: Kentucky House GOP leaders unveil redistricting plan. Associated Press. December 30, 2021.
• Michigan: Ungerrymandered: Michigan’s Maps, Independently Drawn, Set Up Fair Fight. New York Times. December 29, 2021.
• Minnesota: What to know about the Minnesota redistricting plans going before a special judicial panel this week. MinnPost. January 3, 2022.
• Mississippi: Analysis: Mississippi legislators face full agenda in 2022. Associated Press. January 2, 2022.
• Missouri: GOP lawmakers propose new US House district lines. Associated Press. December 30, 2021.
• New York: 4 key takeaways from the Independent Redistricting Commission’s latest maps. City & State New York. January 4, 2022.
• North Carolina: Political stakes are high as trial begins in NC gerrymandering lawsuit. The News & Observer. January 3, 2022.
• Ohio: Congressional redistricting hits the Ohio Supreme Court. Ohio Capital Journal. December 29, 2021.
• Texas: Asian American groups file a legal challenge to Texas' redistricting plans. NPR. December 31, 2021.
• Virginia: Virginia Supreme Court approves redrawn congressional, General Assembly maps. Washington Post. December 28, 2021.

Call for submissions

• Have any information, resources, trainings, or opportunities you want to share in this newsletter? Just fill out this form! Note that content must be submitted by noon ET on Monday in order to be sent out in the Monday newsletter, and that publication of your content in this newsletter is subject to the moderator’s approval.