WHEREAS:
Gerrymandering unfairly divides state voting districts into areas that benefit one political party and has been practiced by politicians of both major political parties for decades; and
WHEREAS:
Technology has rapidly advanced since the last round of redistricting. Advanced software that can create fair maps can also create grossly gerrymandered districts with extreme precision and has made gerrymandering much more insidious; and
WHEREAS:
In 2012, Democrats won 1.5 million more votes than Republicans in races for the House of Representatives, yet Republicans held a 234 to 201 seat advantage; and
WHEREAS:
An analysis by the Associated Press of the 2016 elections found: “Republicans won as many as 22 additional U.S. House seats over what would have been expected based on the average vote share in congressional districts across the country. That helped provide the GOP with a comfortable majority over Democrats instead of a narrow one… the data suggest that even if Democrats had turned out in larger numbers, their chances of substantial legislative gains were limited by gerrymandering;” and
WHEREAS:
According to a Brennan Center for Justice report on gerrymandering, “This decade’s congressional maps are consistently biased in favor of Republicans. In the 26 states that account for 85 percent of congressional districts, Republicans derive a net benefit of at least 16-17 congressional seats in the current Congress from partisan bias. This advantage represents a significant portion of the 24 seats Democrats would need to pick up to regain control of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. Just seven states account for almost all of the bias;” and
WHEREAS:
Gerrymandering divides communities. In a district in Virginia, some residents can only reach each other by a boat ride and a district in Michigan was drawn like a snake to keep as many minority voters in the same district as possible; and
WHEREAS:
Gerrymandering is in its nature undemocratic. Voters’ political and policy preferences are not accurately represented by their elected officials because natural communities of common interest are divided, thus diminishing their ability to collectively elect a representative; and
WHEREAS:
Because state populations change over time, states will redraw congressional maps block by block after the next decennial census that will take place in 2020. In most states, the maps are redrawn by politicians and in other states, maps are drawn by a commission; and
WHEREAS:
The U.S. Census will greatly impact how populations are counted and funding for the census is under attack; and
WHEREAS:
The goal of redistricting should be to create fair maps so elections represent the will of the voters, not to create politically advantageous districts for a political party; and
WHEREAS:
Redistricting will affect the lives of everyone in their communities for at least a decade. After a decade of Republicans holding an unfair advantage, 2021 redistricting presents an opportunity to draw fairer maps; and
WHEREAS:
Because the composition of state legislatures and governorships will affect 2021 redistricting, the 2018 elections are crucial to the creation of fairer maps in the next round of redistricting.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME and its affiliates will support local, state and federal efforts to ensure a fair redistricting process; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME programs will support actions and organizations that:
- Invest in electoral work to identify and invest in key down-ballot races with redistricting implications.
- Support court cases that guide proactive legal strategies that address the inequities of gerrymandering.
- Support and promote well-thought out ballot initiatives that produce fairer maps; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME and its affiliates will prioritize 2018 and 2020 electoral work with an eye towards redistricting; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME and its affiliates will join with like-minded organizations and individuals to enact policies that will ensure a fair redistricting process, reverse and redraw gerrymandered maps, and ensure voters are accurately represented in the census.
SUBMITTED BY:
Todd Singer, President and Delegate
A. Jane Gill, Secretary
AFSCME Council 13
Pennsylvania