skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

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

Progressives call push to change Constitution "risky," Judge rules Donald Trump defrauded banks, insurers while building real estate empire; new report compares ways NY can get cleaner air, help disadvantaged communities.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

House Speaker McCarthy aims to pin a shutdown on White House border policies, President Biden joins a Detroit auto workers picket line and the Supreme Court again tells Alabama to redraw Congressional districts for Black voters.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

An Indigenous project in South Dakota seeks to protect tribal data sovereignty, advocates in North Carolina are pushing back against attacks on public schools, and Arkansas wants the hungriest to have access to more fruits and veggies.

NH Governor, Groups: Keep Congressional Maps Competitive

play audio
Play

Wednesday, February 9, 2022   

New Hampshire groups that advocate for voting rights say the state's new congressional district maps are gerrymandered, and will lead to little competition in elections.

Currently, two Democrats represent the Granite State in the U.S. House, but that might change after this year's redistricting process, which is controlled by Republicans; they're in power in both the General Court and governor's office.

The House passed a map last month, but Brian Biehl, deputy director of Open Democracy Action, said it essentially locks in congressional races for the next 10 years.

"All of these groups have identified this as a highly uncompetitive map that is designed to guarantee a Republican in District 1," he said, "and they basically ceded District Two to the Democrats."

Biehl noted that groups from the Princeton Gerrymandering Project to the ACLU have identified the proposal as partisan, and even Gov. Chris Sununu has said he wants a map with more balance. An analysis by the ACLU of New Hampshire found partisan gerrymandering in state House, state Senate and Executive Council maps as well.

Biehl added that a critical part of having maps drawn fairly is giving the public the chance for input at every possible opportunity.

"It's important to note," he said, "that if we get an amendment to the congressional maps, Senate rules don't require an another public hearing, which is very alarming to the public and anyone who cares about democracy."

At a series of hearings last year, he said, people made it clear they wanted new maps with fair district lines. Candidates can start filing for congressional races on June 1, so the voting-district maps must be finalized by then. Primaries are in September, and the general election in November.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Conservative legal groups are calling for a constitutional convention as early as 2025. (Kasia Biel/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Progressive groups are speaking out against the idea of a constitutional convention, warning it could be used to impose conservative policies on …


Health and Wellness

play sound

Today is National Gay Men's HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and Nevada is one of the 10 states with the highest HIV infection rates. In 2021, more than 11,00…

Environment

play sound

The current Farm Bill expires Sept. 30 and with a looming government shutdown, reauthorization does not appear imminent. Wisconsin farm groups say …


More than thirty states and the District of Columbia have decriminalized low-level cannabis possession offenses, according to The Marijuana Policy Project. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Kentuckians continue to be charged, jailed and fined for cannabis-related offenses at high rates, despite dramatic shifts in public opinion, …

Environment

play sound

Three conservation groups have sued to stop a large logging project near Yellowstone National Park they say threatens endangered species in Montana…

A $27 billion fund managed by the Environmental Protection Agency is designed to help states and local communities construct sustainable green projects to fight climate change and reduce greenhouse gases. (Adobe Stock/AI)

Environment

play sound

Elected officials in New York and across the country are urging state and local governments to use new funding available through the Environmental Pro…

Environment

play sound

A new poll found Pennsylvania Republican voters want political candidates to prioritize preserving and growing manufacturing including tariffs in the …

Social Issues

play sound

A California group formed after the firestorm that leveled the town of Paradise is stepping up to help Maui recover from its own disaster last month…

 

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