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Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Apart From Independent Approach, How Inclusive is IA's Redistricting?

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Thursday, December 9, 2021   

DES MOINES, Iowa - Iowa has enacted new congressional and legislative boundaries now that redistricting has wrapped. Despite its reputation for an independent process, some map experts question whether the state has done enough to include BIPOC voices.

Iowa's well-documented approach to using nonpartisan legislative staff to handle political map changes has attracted national attention for some time now.

But Doug Spencer - a law professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder and manager of the All About Redistricting website - said when you closely examine the process, you can find red flags.

That includes limited public hearings during the recently completed redistricting cycle.

"Three Zoom meetings over two days," said Spencer. "And so that limits the kinds of voices that can be heard and listened to and have an impact."

In states where public-access concerns have been raised, defenders of the process have cited a shorter window this time around because of delayed census data. However, Iowa's guidelines, written before the pandemic, call for a minimum of three hearings.

In 2011, only four were scheduled. As for the new maps, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said they will fairly and accurately represent all Iowa citizens for the next decade.

But Spencer wondered whether Iowa's independent process is turning out elected officials that provide the best representation for all communities. Even with a small BIPOC population, he noted the state Senate is all white.

"As small as the minority population is, it's still underrepresented in the state Legislature," said Spencer.

And the latest census figures show the state is becoming more diverse, with the Latino population increasing to nearly 7%, and the Black population edging up above 4%.

Ahead of the next redistricting cycle ten years from now, Spencer urged the state to be more proactive to ensure all voices are heard. That would include more census participation outreach a few years before the next count, as well as more diverse hiring among agencies involved with redistricting.

He said planting those seeds early could make Iowa more receptive to BIPOC communities when the process ramps up again.




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