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This bill would restrict congressional redistricting in states before 2020 — requiring all states to create an independent redistricting commission to divide and assign Representatives. The bill aims to keep state legislatures from gerrymandering — the practice of drawing or manipulating congressional districts to favor a political party or economic class.

The independent redistricting commissions for each state would be required to hold their meetings in public and have a publicly available website to publish proposals and data. Commissions would be responsible for developing redistricting plans and submitting them to the legislature after giving public notice seven days before submission.

The state legislature could approve or reject the commission’s plan but would be prohibited from amending it. If a state’s governor doesn’t sign a plan by November 1st of the year before a congressional reapportionment, the commission could pass its plans along to the state’s highest court. If the state court fails to select a plan, the federal district court would be responsible for developing a final redistricting plan.

States would be prohibited from redrawing their districts' boundaries at any time except during the reapportionment that coincides with the Census. Exceptions to this rule would be made if a court orders a state to review its districts to comply with the U.S. Constitution or enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

","official_title":"To prohibit States from carrying out more than one Congressional redistricting after a decennial census and apportionment, to require States to conduct such redistricting through independent commissions, and for other purposes.","short_title":"John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"John Tanner Fairness and Independence in Redistricting Act\n\n Prohibits a state that has been redistricted after an apportionment from being redistricted again until after the next apportionment of Representatives, unless the state is ordered by a court to conduct such a subsequent redistricting in order to: (1) comply with the U.S. Constitution, or (2) enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965.\n\nRequires such redistricting to be conducted through a plan developed by the independent redistricting commission established in the state, or if such plan is not enacted into law, the redistricting plan selected by the state's highest court or developed by a U.S. district court.\n\nPrescribes requirements for: (1) establishment of a state independent redistricting commission (including provisions for holding each of its meetings in public and maintaining a public Internet site); (2) development of a redistricting plan (including soliciting and considering public comments) and its submission to the sta...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Voters in every state, state legislators, independent redistricting commissions, state courts, federal courts, and governors.","argument_for":"Gerrymandering blatantly manipulates voting districts to serve political interests. Independent commissions in each state would take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and make elections more competitive to actually serve the people.","argument_against":"If the people of a state want to avoid gerrymandering, they’ll encourage reform with the way that they vote, and the representatives they elect. 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Should States Have to Use Independent Redistricting Commissions?