skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, February 15, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration begins sweeping layoffs with probationary workers, warns of larger cuts to come; NYC music school teachers strike after union negotiations break down; Ohio advocates push for inclusive policies during Black History Month; Health experts recommend sunshine, socializing to cure 'winter blues.'

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Federal workers tasked with securing elections from foreign interference are placed on leave, parents' organizations reject dismantling Dept. of Education, and the Congressional Black Caucus presses discussions on slavery reparations.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural America struggles with opioids and homelessness in unexpected ways, Colorado's Lariat Ditch could help spur local recreation, and book deliveries revive rural communities hit by Hurricane Helene.

NC Lawmakers Reach Across Aisle to End Gerrymandering

play audio
Play

Tuesday, April 4, 2017   

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina has a long history of gerrymandering election districts, but small steps are being made by members of both parties to end the practice once and for all.

Today is the deadline for state senators to sign on to co-sponsor Senate Bill 554 that would create a Fair Redistricting Study Committee to ensure that 2020 House, Senate and congressional districts are drawn fairly for all citizens.

Chris Coughlin, a professor at the Wake Forest University School of Law, explains the importance of such an effort.

"Because it's so hard for individuals who are of the party that's not in power to win in an area that's been unfairly gerrymandered for political purposes, you don't get contested races, and when you don't get contested races we tend to see more ultra-partisan individuals win," she explained.

Twenty-two other states have adopted similar bipartisan redistricting committees. A Washington Post analysis found that North Carolina is home to three of the 10 most-gerrymandered districts in the country.

A survey by Public Policy Polling released in January found that 59 percent of voters in the state support drawing district lines in a nonpartisan fashion, with just 15 percent specifically opposed to it.

While North Carolina Republicans redrew districts from the 2010 Census in favor of their party, historically state Democrats also have participated in the practice when they've been in the majority.

Coughlin says it's important to end the practice - regardless of who is in power.

"People need to understand that this isn't all just Republicans," she said. "This has been happening in our state for decades. The pendulum is going to swing back, so at some point, we just need to have a fair and independent system."

Aside from assuring equal representation, cost is another factor. As of last August, the state had spent more than three and a half million dollars defending the most recent redistricting lawsuits.

Currently, the bill's main sponsors are Sen. Angela Bryant of Halifax, Nash, Vance, Warren and Wilson counties, Sen. Floyd McKissick of Durham and Granville counties, and Sen. Gladys Robinson of Guilford County.

Reporting by North Carolina News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the Park Foundation.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
In 2023, the Biden administration ordered a Bakersfield oil company to remove old oil rigs from Carrizo Plain National Monument in Central California. (Bob Wick/BLM)

Environment

play sound

Groups that fight to protect public lands are criticizing the Trump administration's new review of all oil, gas and mining on public lands. National …


Environment

play sound

This weekend, Virginians will participate with other birders around the world in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …

Environment

play sound

This weekend, birders across the world, including in Maryland, will participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Thousands of birding enthusiasts …


A new study looking at drought impacts on grasslands found that such lands in China saw a 43% reduction in annual productivity, compared with just a 25% reduction in North America under the same conditions. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Grasslands are considered a vital component of South Dakota's landscape. But on the heels of new research, an expert suggests they might not fare as …

Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota is little less than a year away from launching its paid-leave law, but state lawmakers are debating whether to delay the start until 2027…

In its next contract, the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program faculty union is looking for "reasonable" class sizes and for teachers to easily access remote learning tools when needed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike. The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty …

Social Issues

play sound

A New York bill would require schools to teach about the Jan. 6 insurrection. The bill calls for all K-12 students to be taught about the event…

Health and Wellness

play sound

An Atlanta-based group is making sure more people have access to an unconventional but effective treatment for their moderate mental health challenges…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021