League of Women Voters of Kentucky Applauds the Filing of the Kentucky Fair Maps Act

For Immediate Release

January 24, 2020

Contact: Delores Pregliasco

(502) 558-1712

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF KENTUCKY APPLAUDS THE FILING OF THE KENTUCKY FAIR MAPS ACT CREATING A CITIZEN-LED REDISTRICTING ADVISORY COMMISSION

FRANKFORT – The League of Women Voters of Kentucky today expressed strong support for House Bill 326, filed by Representative Joe Graviss (D) 56 of Versailles and co-sponsored by Representative Joni Jenkins (D) 44 of Louisville. Also known as the Fair Maps Act, HB 326 calls for a fifteen-member Advisory Redistricting Commission to design new maps to show which parts of the state elect each member of the Kentucky House, Kentucky Senate, and U.S. House of Representatives.

If the Act becomes law, the Commission will gather statewide input and develop new state and federal legislative maps of compact districts of equal size that reflect Kentucky’s diversity. While the General Assembly will make the final decision, the bill will require legislators to consider the Commission’s recommendations first and ask the Commission for revisions second, with an option of developing its own plan after completing those steps.

The goal is to develop fair maps based on wide public input. Fifteen other states have similar redistricting commissions, and a recent study found that 60 million Americans live in a state where at least one legislative chamber is controlled by a party that received fewer statewide votes.

“For much of our country’s history, partisan gerrymandering has allowed legislators to pick their voters rather than the other way around,” said Fran Wagner, president of the Kentucky League. “That’s not the way it should be, which is why more and more states are putting this responsibility into the hands of unbiased people committed to making sure communities are preserved rather than split to fulfill a political goal.”

“We are delighted to have Rep. Graviss and Rep. Jenkins take the lead on this important legislation for Kentucky voters and good government,” Wagner added.

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The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization that promotes the informed and active participation of citizens in government through study and action. http://lwvky.org/