March 10, 2021
Every ten years, after the census is completed, the legislative district lines in Oregon are redrawn to account for changes in population. Do you believe the state has been served well by the last redistricting? Do you believe the current district boundaries are fair? Now is the time to share your views. I want to encourage you to make your voice heard and to get involved with this once-a-decade process.
Redistricting Townhall Beginning this week, the legislature is embarking on a virtual townhall tour to hear from Oregonians about redistricting.
Individuals are invited to testify on specific days depending on the Congressional district they live in. As a resident of House District 3, you live in either Congressional District 2 (Cliff Bentz) or Congressional District 4 (Peter DeFazio). If you’re unsure, you can confirm by searching your address HERE.
For residents of CD2, you can testify this evening (March 10th) from 5:30-7:30pm or on Saturday, March 20th from 1:00-3:00pm.
For residents of CD4, you can testify next
Tuesday (March 16th) from 5:30-7:30pm or on Saturday, April 10th from 12:00pm-2:00pm.
You can register to testify by clicking the hyperlink of the meeting you wish to virtually attend.
Gerrymandering
When talking about redistricting, the word “gerrymandering” is often thrown around, but what does it mean? “Gerrymandering” is used to describe the process where districts are drawn with unusual lines in order to preserve the power of a political party.
The word gerrymander (a combination of “Gerry” and “salamander”) was first used in a Boston newspaper in 1812 in reaction to a drawing of state senate districts under Governor Elbridge Gerry. One of the oddly shaped districts was thought to look like a salamander. A political cartoon turned the district into an animal and the word officially entered our political language!
Gerrymandering in Oregon
A good example of a gerrymandered district in Oregon is House District 54 which includes the city of Bend. As you can see below, House District 54 is the “hole” in the “donut” district of House District 53.
All my best,
