Iowa's Redistricting-itis

by Paul Deaton

Ready or not, the political redistricting process begins anew with the release of the first Iowa maps by the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission this morning. By 10:00 AM there were already 83 articles on the topic on Google News and likely more by the time you read this. Political writers look forward to today's event and have already opined profusely.

Last Saturday, Representative Mary Mascher (D-77) said the first map is likely the fairest one, and the mapping of Iowa's soon to be four congressional districts seems to confirm that. The question on second district minds is whether our current Congressman Dave Loebsack will move a couple of miles south from Mount Vernon to live in the proposed 2nd District which would include Johnson, Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine along with a swath of more rural counties. There is a formal process for considering and voting on the redistricting maps which Blog for Iowa laid out here.

To find the maps and opine for yourself, click here.

Once others have plowed the field, Blog for Iowa will provide more detailed analysis of the proposed first map, hopefully over the weekend.

~Paul Deaton is a native Iowan living in rural Johnson County and weekend editor of Blog for Iowa. E-mail Paul Deaton