GiaQuinta: Now it’s up to the legislature to end partisan gerrymandering

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta (D-Fort Wayne) today issued the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to act on a case involving political gerrymandering:

“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court made it evident that federal courts will not decide whether or not districts should be drawn through gerrymandering. That leaves it up to the Legislature to act.

“The people of Indiana have made it clear that they want legislative and Congressional districts drawn by a non-partisan commission. The responsibility now lies with the Indiana House and Senate Republicans to act on their wishes.

“To be truthful, it is easy to be pessimistic about their willingness to act on this issue. In the 2019 legislative session, no fewer than six separate bills were filed to change the way we draw districts. None of them passed, a tradition that has been in place for several years now under Republican control.

“But House Democrats will continue to press on. We will pursue independent redistricting legislation in the 2020 session. And while the Interim Study Committee on Elections has no topics to study this summer, I think legislative leaders have every right to ask them to begin laying the groundwork on this issue now.

“The Legislature cannot use the courts as an excuse to do nothing any more. We need to act. The people of Indiana want it.”