By CARMEN FORMAN, October 29, 2019 02:03 AM EDT
Proponents of nonpartisan redistricting filed an initiative petition Monday asking Oklahoma voters to support creation of a Citizens' Independent Redistricting Commission.
The initiative petition, filed by a group called People Not Politicians, aims to take partisanship out of the equation when it comes to drawing Oklahoma's legislative and congressional districts.
Oklahoma's Republican-controlled Legislature is currently responsible for drawing the state's political districts, which then go to the governor for final approval.
The initiative petition seeks to amend Oklahoma's constitution to undo the Legislature's power to draw the state's political districts and vest that authority with a nine-person commission made up of non-elected officials from different political parties.
Six of the commissioners would be chosen by a panel of retired Oklahoma judges led by the chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Those six commission members would then choose the remaining three commissioners. Altogether, three of the commissioners would be Republicans, three would be Democrats and three would be unaffiliated with either of the state's largest political parties.
The commission would be tasked with drawing compact districts that do not unduly favor any political party or disenfranchise minority groups from electing the representatives of their choosing.
"This proposal will prevent self-serving politicians from manipulating the system and force them to listen to the people they represent instead of pandering to special interests and their party's extremes," said Andy Moore, founder and executive director of Let's Fix This, a grassroots organization to get regular Oklahomans involved in politics.
Across the states, legislatures and governors are largely in charge of the redistricting process, but a growing number of states are changing redistricting methods to reduce the likelihood of partisan gerrymandering - in which districts are drawn to favor one political party.
Nearly 20 states have passed measures to reduce partisanship throughout the process. In 2018, voters in Utah, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado passed ballot measures to reduce partisanship from taking hold during redistricting, with several of those states creating independent or bipartisan commissions to draw district lines.
Both House Speaker Charles McCall and Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat dismissed the initiative petition, saying the House and Senate would conduct a fair and transparent redistricting process.
McCall, R-Atoka, said the petition is "unnecessary" because the existing redistricting process is a proven method based on the numbers, law and expertise of people in each district. McCall and Treat, R-Oklahoma City, also raised questions about who is funding the initiative petition campaign, hinting that out-of-state interests are bankrolling the campaign.
"This petition is a solution in search of a problem in a state like Oklahoma that has not had problems with or successful lawsuits over its redistricting process," McCall said. "The convoluted 14-page process the petitioners want makes the system more complicated and less accountable to voters. The existing process is much simpler and more accountable because the buck stops with the legislators who the voters can keep or replace depending on how they feel about their work.
In 2011, a state senator filed a lawsuit saying the Senate's redistricting plan favored Republicans, but the Oklahoma Supreme Court tossed the lawsuit.
People Not Politicians says it is a coalition led by Let's Fix This, the League of Women Voters of Oklahoma and a bipartisan group of concerned Oklahoma citizens.
"This is a redistricting coup, not an attempt at fair maps," Treat said. "This is a power play by out-of-state liberals in an attempt to force an agenda on Oklahomans. The Oklahoma Senate will do its job and handle redistricting in a fair manner."
The change sought by People Not Politicians also comes as more states are landing in court over redistricting maps that are being challenged on the basis of unconstitutional gerrymandering.
Members of the Citizens' Independent Redistricting Commission would not be allowed to run for legislative or congressional office while serving. Commissioners will receive per diem and travel reimbursements equal to what legislators receive.
The initiative petition also details the process should the commission be unable to approve new maps.
People Not Politicians will have 90 days to gather nearly 178,000 valid signatures to put the redistricting changes on the ballot next year.
McCall and Treat already have begun planning for the next redistricting effort, which will follow the 2020 census.
Each chamber will have a bipartisan redistricting committee, with members appointed by McCall and Treat. The committees will start meeting next year. Each chamber also will have its own paid redistricting director to guide the process.
Boundaries for legislative and congressional districts are redrawn every decade following completion of the census. If Oklahoma follows the traditional redistricting process, the Legislature will have to pass new maps in 2021.
But if the initiative petition is successful, the independent redistricting commission could be in charge of drawing districts in 2021.
Published by The Oklahoman
