Articles Tagged: Redistricting

The second plan for proposed 2021 redistricting maps were released Oct. 21 for Iowa’s congressional, House and Senate districts.

A state agency on Thursday will release a second set of maps revising Iowa’s four congressional districts and legislative boundaries as redistricting moves to the next phase of the process.

Texas Republicans approved redrawn U.S. House maps that favor incumbents and decrease political representation for growing minority communities, even as Latinos drive much of the growth in the nation’s largest red state.

The governor earlier this week threw the issue of banning workplace COVID-19 vaccine mandates into the special-session mix. But top GOP legislators said Thursday it probably would be considered only “if the right solution is ready” when they return to the Capitol later this month.

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While senators are hearing concerns from their constituents over mask mandates and education-related topics, the Senate GOP leader said he expects this week’s special session will be confined to consideration of the proposed redistricting maps only and likely be completed in a day.

Lawmakers will convene Tuesday at the Capitol for a special session of the Iowa Legislature where they will consider the first round of proposed new election boundary maps for the redistricting process.

Political considerations — such as whether current lawmakers would have to square off against each other in the next election — should not influence state lawmakers’ votes on proposed new political boundaries in Iowa, Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley said Friday.

Census is “super important” because seats in the U.S. House and Iowa Legislature are apportioned, and state and federal funds are allocated based on the once-a-decade headcount.

A state commission will submit a report to the Iowa Legislature that indicates Iowans who offered an opinion support the first set of maps drawn by a nonpartisan state agency.

Iowa City would switch congressional districts from the 2nd to the 1st.

Regardless of whether these maps are approved, they provide another illustration of how Iowa’s population --- like so many other states’ --- is shifting from rural to urban and suburban areas.

The day the redistricting plan is releases is “kind of like a kid with Christmas. You don't know what you're going to get,” House Speaker Pat Grassley said.

No current members of the U.S. House are thrown into a district with another incumbent. However, Ashley Hinson and Marianette Miller-Meeks would be in unfamiliar territory. Their would-be Democratic challengers — state Sen. Liz Mathis of Hiawatha and state Rep. Christina Bohannan of Iowa City — both would be in the new 1st District. Under the current map, Mathis is in the 1st and Bohannan in the 2nd.

Take a look at the proposed 2021 redistricting maps for Iowa’s congressional, House and Senate districts.