The Headlines
This week the “Gerrymandering Wars” continued to escalate, a clear sign that our democracy is on the ropes. As politicians double down on anti-democratic schemes, voters continue to make it clear that they want to see real solutions that represent true democracy. Our VNP Board Member, Dave Daley, recently placed this wonderful op-ed in the New York Times outlining the stakes of this fight and explaining how we got here.
In Michigan, fixing partisan gerrymandering became a rallying point that millions of Michiganders, from across the political spectrum, came together to support. If we truly want to fix the existential problems facing our democracy, we should be leaning in to more consensus-building, nonpartisan, pro-democracy reforms.
We need to be hyper focused on the issues that bring all of us together, and fighting corruption is at the top of Voters Not Politician’s list because it’s at the top of the list for Michiganders!
The Details
- According to Democracy Docket, states governors and legislatures who have explicitly threatened to gerrymander their way to electoral power now include: Texas, Florida, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New Hampshire, South Carolina, California, New York, Illinois, and Maryland.
- All together these states represent over 112 million eligible voters who might lose out on, or are already being denied, fair representation.
- On Tuesday, Texas Republicans moved closer to their goal of gaining five additional congressional seats through antidemocratic scheming, when the Texas Senate passed a new Congressional district map. The Texas House remains without quorum, keeping the maps from advancing any further for now.
- On Thursday, California Governor Gavin Newsom made his threat very real, by calling a special election for voters to potentially authorize a mid-decade partisan redistricting of the state’s congressional maps.
- According to Newsom, these blatantly gerrymandered maps would only be used temporarily, and California’s voter-approved independent redistricting commission would once again draw the lines after the 2030 census.
- We know that blatant partisan gerrymandering is unpopular with most voters. A recent Navigator poll showed that a plurality of Independent voters (44%) opposed Texas Republican’s mid-decade plan to redraw the state’s Congressional map. However, that percentage jumped to 52% once they learned that the plan is to redraw the maps solely to pick up more seats to add to their majority in the U.S. House.
- Politicians policing themselves is exactly how corrupt schemes like gerrymandering and pay-to-play corruption became ingrained in our politics. Corruption causes voters to lose trust in the system, while gerrymandering allows politicians to avoid accountability by picking and choosing their voters and listening to corporate donors over their constituents.
- While ending partisan gerrymandering in Michigan was an important step in making politicians more accountable to the people, it was never going to solve all the problems of corruption in our politics. That will take additional reforms, including safeguarding ballot access and limiting the corrosive influence of money in politics.
- Another example of the kind of political corruption we continue to see in Michigan: last month Governor Whitmer made the highly unusual choice not to reappoint a highly qualified policy specialist who had completed only a partial term on the Michigan Public Service Commission, the board that regulates utility companies like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. Gov. Whitmer replaced the highly qualified expert with a senior advisor and longtime legislative staffer described as an “industry ally” for utility monopolies by current legislators.
- Shaquila Myers, the Governor’s new appointment to the MPSC, is reported to have worked behind the scenes to block legislation that was opposed by the utility companies during her time as Chief of Staff for former House Speaker Joe Tate.
- Gov. Whitmer, who much like her predecessor from the other party has received millions in campaign donations from both DTE and Consumers, has so far not explained her decision.
- This type of clear conflict of interest appointment is exactly why Voters Not Politicians is pushing to ban campaign contributions from regulated utility monopolies and state contractors through the Mop Up Michigan ballot initiative.
- Similar to ending gerrymandering, getting money out of politics is an issue that voters across the political spectrum support by wide margins. By focusing on reform strategies that bring all voters together, instead of furthering partisanship, polarization, and voter disenfranchisement, we will protect our struggling state and federal democracy.
- Some savvy politicians see the value in bringing Michiganders together to fight corruption. Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have both expressed support for the anti-corruption, pro-democracy policies included in our petition.
- In even more exciting news – our push to get money out of politics has support from both Republicans and Democrats.
What’s Next
Voters Not Politicians’ track record proves that bringing Michiganders together with campaigns for popular nonpartisan issues is a winning strategy. In this dire moment for democracy, it is more important than ever for us to break through disinformation and gridlock pitting communities against each other.
At the heart of all these problems is the overwhelming corruption infiltrating our political system, and we know that bringing voters together to take down political corruption is the best bulwark against the attacks on democracy.
Want to dig in right away? Join us at next Friday’s Board of State Canvasser’s meeting. We need an overflowing crowd to send the right message – show up!
