Illinois Becomes the 10th State to Count Prisoners at Home for Redistricting

Illinois Becomes the 10th State to Count Prisoners at Home for Redistricting

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law on Tuesday a measure that would require state prisoners to be counted at their home address for redistricting beginning in 2030. Illinois joins nine other states with similar provisions, they are California, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington State. The process of counting prisoners at home versus the prison is "prisoner reallocation." Read the Prison Policy Initatives' press release below. For immediate release — On Tuesday, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed an omnibus criminal justice package that (among several victories) makes Illinois the tenth state to end prison…
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California Redistricting Commission Parts with Executive Director

California Redistricting Commission Parts with Executive Director

In a Feb. 18 press release, the Commission advised that it had accepted Executive Director Daniel Claypool's, resignation after a closed meeting on the 16th. No further details were given on the reason for Claypool's departure, but the portion of the meeting on the 16th that was publicly aired included a rather lengthy and robust discussion about the commission's outreach budget. You can view the meeting below. The discussion begins at 3:42. https://youtu.be/4qAAb9NW6sk Here is the relevant text of the press release: 2020 California Citizens Redistricting CommissionAccepts Resignation of Executive Director SACRAMENTO, CA—Today, the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission)…
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CA Redistricting Commission Reviewing Applications for Litigation Team and Voting Rights Counsel

CA Redistricting Commission Reviewing Applications for Litigation Team and Voting Rights Counsel

The voting rights act counsel would provide legal support to the Commission, staff and consultants regarding the redistricting process, including the review of proposed district maps; development, use and analysis of Racially Polarized Voting (“RPV”) data, preparation of legal memoranda and general legal advice to the Commission. The commission is also seeking a litigation team in the event that any or all of its redistricting maps (Congressional, and State Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization) are challenged in state or federal court. To that end, the commission is seeking is seeking “statements of qualifications” (SOQ) from attorneys, including law firms…
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The Census Bureau Sets a Target Date for Long-awaited Redistricting Data Delivery to the States

The Census Bureau Sets a Target Date for Long-awaited Redistricting Data Delivery to the States

The U.S. Census Bureau announced today the target date for delivering redistricting data to the states; the final component needed to redraw congressional and legislative lines. The relevant excerpts from the bureau's official blog are below. The press release is here. James Whitehorne, Chief of the Redistricting and Voting Rights Data Office, U.S. Census Bureau: If this were a typical decade, we would be on the verge of delivering the first round of redistricting data from the 2020 Census. Our original plan was to deliver the data in state groupings starting Feb. 18, 2021 and finishing by March 31, 2021.  …
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Special Citizens Voting-Age Population Tabulation Canceled by Census Bureau

Special Citizens Voting-Age Population Tabulation Canceled by Census Bureau

While the big news from the Census Bureau regarding the delayed apportionment and redistricting data has dominated the headlines as of late, the bureau also announced that it would be discontinuing its efforts to create a post-2020 “special tabulation” of the citizen voting-age population (CVAP). This special tab would have been a detailed estimate of the citizen voting-age population nationwide. Here is what you need to know about this development. A CVAP Special Tab is already Produced Annually by the Bureau. The special tab that was discontinued by the bureau recently is not the annual CVAP tab that it has…
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January Redistricting Update

January Redistricting Update

The census data picture became slightly more clear in January. Two "new" state redistricting commissions made news as well. News Census Bureau Announces Revised Data Release Schedule But Stops Short on Firm Date for Redistricting Data Maryland Governor Creates Citizens Redistricting Commission Watch: The New Virginia Redistricting Commission Conducts its First Full Meeting Events As the redistricting season develops, redistricting related events will increase. Don't forget to check the RedistrictingOnline calendar. Make sure to your redistricting related event too. You can add events to the calendar here.
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Maryland Governor Creates Citizens Redistricting Commission

Maryland Governor Creates Citizens Redistricting Commission

Gov. Larry Hogan announced that he would establish The Maryland Citizens Redistricting Commission to redraw the state's congressional and state legislative boundaries. The application period for members of the public to apply to be on the commission is now open. The commission will consist of 3 members appointed by the governor and 6 members of the public who are selected by the initial three after applying through the application process. The governor's appointees are Judge Alexander Williams (democrat), Walter Olsen (Republican), and Dr. Kathleen Hetherington (Independent). Williams is a retired Judge of the United States District Court for the District…
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Census Bureau Announces Revised Data Release Schedule But Stops Short on Firm Date for Redistricting Data

Census Bureau Announces Revised Data Release Schedule But Stops Short on Firm Date for Redistricting Data

The target date for apportionment data is April 30 2021. Bureau officials say a date for the release of redistricting data for the states is forthcoming, but they are certain that date will not be before July 30. A Census Bureau official made these detailed remarks on Wed, Jan. 27 to a group of legislators and staff on a conference/video call organized by the National Conference of State Legislatures. In the past, processing and preparation of apportionment and redistricting data was accomplished in a parallel process. This decade, the Bureau made the decision to focus entirely on producing the apportionment…
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Apportionment Numbers Delayed Until March

Apportionment Numbers Delayed Until March

"Uncertainty over the timing of congressional apportionment increased Monday, as government lawyers told a federal judge the Census Bureau's new internal target date for finalizing state population counts is March 6." (Wash. Post) The remarks were made in a case management hearing for a lawsuit against the administration in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Read the Post article here.
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December Redistricting Update

December Redistricting Update

December was all about the apportionment numbers when it comes to redistricting news. Let's get you up-to-date. White House Memo on Excluding “Aliens” from the Official Apportionment Count The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Trump v. New York on Nov. 30 pursuant to an expedited schedule given that the U.S. Census Bureau had a Dec 31 statutory deadline to report the official state population counts to be used for apportioning U.S. House seats among the states. Just before Christmas, the court released a per curiam opinion declining to decide the issue on technical grounds. The issue being whether…
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