skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, September 20, 2024

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

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

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.

CA Good-Government Groups Focus on Racial Equity in Redistricting

play audio
Play

Wednesday, December 8, 2021   

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- As California enters the final stretch in the redistricting process, civil rights groups are pressing the state's redistricting commission to prioritize racial equity, so historically underrepresented groups have a better shot at electing leaders of their choice.

The California Redistricting Commission is holding public meetings on the draft legislative maps almost every day. The maps are expected to be approved on Dec. 24.

Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause, said communities of interest need to examine the proposed maps closely.

"We should be looking really hard about whether the proposed lines are drawn in a way that maybe they inadvertently or intentionally hurt a community, but they're drawn that way in order to help an incumbent," Feng contended.

Advocates want voting districts that avoid pitting minority groups against each other, and that keep communities of interest together. The commission is now taking public comment on the draft maps at its meetings and on its website.

Brandon Jessup, deputy director of data and technology for the advocacy group State Voices, said advocates need to delve deep into the census data and press the state commission to consider where communities of color are likely to grow.

"We need to also say that in the next five years, this community will now be a minority-majority community," Jessup asserted. "And therefore, we have to give them the agency to elect folks that look like them, that reflect their interests."

Groups are also preparing to sue under the Voting Rights Act if they deem the final maps unfair. To bring such a case, attorneys look for places where a minority group is large enough to comprise a majority, where there's a history of racially polarized voting or racial discrimination, and where the minority group is being outvoted.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Some 899 of 936 public comments on the plan for the proposed West Fork Dam, or 96%, opposed the West Fork Battle Creek Dam project, according to a tally by Wyofile. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A federal agency is requiring Wyoming to update cost estimates for a large proposed dam in Carbon County, which has been under feasibility studies …


Social Issues

play sound

This Saturday marks the International Day of Peace and the advocacy group Nonviolent Peaceforce is kicking off a series of family-friendly events in M…

Environment

play sound

Latino Conservation Week is in full swing, with 330 events across the U.S. and 90 in California alone. The 11th annual event runs through Sunday…


Social Issues

play sound

A new federal proposal to protect workers from extreme heat is being hailed as a potential lifesaver by labor advocates, even as Florida faces …

A clean energy industry advocacy report found nonunion workers are often paid less, incur more job-related injuries and receive fewer benefits than unionized employees. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

A new study showed as Texas has emerged as a national leader in wind turbine and solar energy installations, clean energy workers often face …

play sound

Students enrolled at Wisconsin's technical colleges this fall might take a course where artificial intelligence is the star of the classroom…

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows the gender wage gap widened for the first time in two decades. The Census Bureau found full-time working women make 82.7 cents …

 

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