Beyond the “Independent Commissions” Soundbite
How Democrats’ Redistricting Bill Codifies Race-Conscious Gerrymandering If you've been following the endless cable chatter or social media loops about congressional redistricting, you've almost certainly heard the polished Democratic soundbite: "Republicans voted against independent commissions to end partisan gerrymandering." It's clean, it's simple, and it requires no further explanation. It paints opponents as defenders of rigged maps and self-interested power-grabs. For many well-meaning citizens who want fair elections, that line lands like common sense. Who could possibly be against "independent" commissions and an end to gerrymandering? But as a constitutional scholar who's studied every redistricting battle for over two decades, through…