a little more hope for the republic

[twoeleven]

a couple of articles on ballot initiatives to end gerrymandering, mostly by stripping legislators of the power of redistricting:

Map Scrap: Ending gerrymandering
Badass Grannies, activists push to clean up government

as the articles note, not all that many states permit ballot initiatives, but that's another problem to be fixed.

Comments

[randomdreams]

We've talked about this before, and I believe you mentioned that your state has some sort of districting algorithm that it uses?

[twoeleven]

the legislature has a trivial algorithm: whatever the majority agrees to is law. there are certain drawbacks to this approach.

[bluepapercup]

I have lived/currently live in two states that allow ballot measures. In both places, California and Massachusetts, I had/have the *completely unwanted* opportunity to vote on a ballot measure that would strip civil rights from a minority population - Prop 8 (depriving LGBTQ couples the right to marry) and Question 3 (depriving trans folks of basic civil rights and public accommodation protection).

I find it difficult to support a ballot measure system that makes it this easy to set up a situation where a simple majority is required to deprive people of civil liberties.

[twoeleven]

i agree.

and thanks for a seque into a forthcoming post about how i think ballot initiatives should work. :)