April is around the corner, and with it Massachusetts will receive the Census Data that will officially start the redistricting process. MassVote, together with a wide array of organizations including ONE Massachusetts, is gearing up to ensure that all the diverse voices of our communities are heard through the redistricting process taking place this year in Massachusetts.
It is essential that historical lessons from previous redistricting processes make a difference this time around when launching and conducting the redistricting process that considers the clout of communities of color. We have to be sure that all communities, particularly those representing people of color, are represented at the table when going through this process. As active members of a democracy, we must get involved and fight for the rights and fair representation of our communities.
As Cheryl Crawford of MassVote said in a communication she sent today to all MassVote members, “State House and State Senate leaders have made a good start at reaching out. But better lines depend on you getting involved.”
Consider making a donation to the Drawing Democracy Project to ensure that communities of color are educated about the process and get involved in it. If you would like to learn more what other organizations are doing about this effort, please contact Avi Green at MassVote.
We will keep you updated about further developments with this process and ways on how you can get involved. In the meantime, please consider hosting a free training to educate your friends and neighbors about the redistricting process.
has the distinction of being one of most racially diverse municipalities (if not the most diverse) in the commonwealth. It also has the distinction of being the largest municipality in the commonwealth without a single citizen in the state legislature. What a co-incidence!
Actually, from what I can tell, it’s not racism that’s behind this state of affairs, just zealous protection of incumbents.
When the last Randolph legislator, Joe Semensi, lost a close race to John Flood, from Canton, Randolph was left without an incumbent to protect. That was a long time ago.
Since then, every ten years, the legislature slices, dices and repackages us, like hedge fund managers slice and dice a bunch of mortages for the secondary market. In the last redisticting, the legislature went so far as to force town officials to redraw the precincts so they could cut the town up into smaller pieces. The idea is to keep the Randolph part of each district smaller than the part of the district in each adjacent town.
So, while it wasn’t racism that caused this situation, and it may not have been racism that perpetuated it for 20 or 30 years, another ten years of this is intolerable. It’s time for a district that is based in Randolph.
Chelmsford got similarly screwed over in the last redistricting and is cut into 4 pieces. This was done to remove a Republican representative. In both cases, the injustice should be rectified.
From what would we do without it Wikapedia , Gov Gerry was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
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p>Once again Massachusetts was on the forefront of a now standard political tactic designed to protect incumbents.
Whaddya say — lets the two of us start a new fusion party democrat-republican.
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p>You can run for Governor and I’ll …… let’s see I’m not sure I want to be inside Government. Been there done that.
Very impressive.
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p>Re: the post, I’m not sure what we’re being asked to do, other than donate.
Is there any way to truly get involved in the actual map drawing process without being on the legislative staff of the appropriate committees?
The software the Legislature uses for redistricting has the ability to export iterations into Google Maps and pdf files.
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p>Many of the groups involved promise that the redistricting – which includes the equalization and re-precincting of Boston – will be done transparently. Rep. Moran (the Chair of redistricting on the House side) spoke to a group which included yours truly a couple of weeks ago, and promised an accountable process.
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p>Furthermore, there are advocacy organizations which also have the software.
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p>Bear in mind that the Mass Census enumerations aren’t in yet:
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p>Next weeks releases will be Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and Tennessee.
Last fall, with no protest from these groups, President Murray convened and immediately adjourned a Constitutional Convention which had independent redistricting on the agenda. I do not remember any calls then to ask the President to allow the bill to go forward.
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p>Possibly there were no fundraising opportunites if it did. NOW, they can collect money for the NEXT Constitutional Convention!