DeLaney statement on passage of Republican gerrymandered maps

INDIANAPOLIS – State Rep. Ed DeLaney (D-Indianapolis) today issued the following statement on the passage of Republican gerrymandered maps 67 to 31.

“We're supposed to be a representative democracy.” DeLaney said. “Instead, we've managed to become both lopsided and one-sided as a legislature. Members from both parties have found themselves in districts where they maintain 70-80% of the vote. These become districts where one party often doesn't bother to run a candidate, let alone a serious candidate with a chance of winning. But just as our districts are lopsided, our chamber is one-sided. When you stack up enough lopsided districts designed by one party, this legislature ends up with one party in charge of everything.

“This is not a representative democracy. This is artificially-created, limitless power for a supermajority beholden to no one. Power should have a purpose beyond the very exercise of power. Our state legislative and congressional delegation should reflect the actual political will of this state. These maps don't do that which is the price of a self-interested redistricting process.

“It's going to take another 10 years for this body to even have a chance of being a true representative democracy again. It will take competitive districts - which these maps don't provide.”