Republicans Refuse to Prohibit Partisan Gerrymandering
Contact Name: Marina Altschiller
Phone: (603) 271-3375
CONCORD - Today, in a party line vote of 13-10, Senate Republicans voted to Interim Study SB 255, Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka’s (D-Portsmouth) bill which would have established redistricting criteria to specifically prohibit partisan gerrymandering.
After the vote, prime sponsor Senator Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D-Portsmouth) issued the following statement:
“Current legislation allows the redistricting process to happen behind closed doors, without public input, and without criteria and guard rails agreed to by the legislature. This lack of transparency leads to gerrymandered maps like the ones passed by Republican members of the Senate last session and the clearly packed Congressional maps passed by the House. There was no reason to send this bill to Interim Study, we know the harmful impact of gerrymandering and as elected officials we should be doing everything we can to ensure every voter’s voice is heard. I am deeply disappointed that my Republican colleagues do not believe their voters deserve to have their votes and their voices protected from blatant political power grabs.”
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