Learn why redistricting matters at a Jan. 27 Redistricting 101 Lunch Session co-hosted by the Yakima County and Kittitas County Leagues of Women Voters and the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition. The Zoom session will be led by Alison McCaffree, redistricting expert for the Washington state League of Women Voters.
The registration link is https://tinyurl.com/go2Redistrictng101Jan27. We are working on having a simultaneous Spanish interpreter live-voice channel during the 12:00 pm to 1:30 Zoom session.
With completion of the 2020 Census, the data responses will now be used by the Washington State 2021 Redistricting Commission to draw new Legislative and Congressional district lines. The newly formed commission began organizing in early January for this major undertaking.
“The success of our unique form of democracy depends on fair, equal, and trusted representation,” Alison said. “However, currently our democracy is threatened by partisan gerrymandering, secret map drawing and challenges to the courts. With Congressional and State legislative districts to be redrawn this year, hear all about gerrymandering – old-school packing, and cracking – newer efficiency metrics, and Monte Carlo simulations to achieve more democratic outcomes in the future.”
Redistricting 101 is the initial community education effort to prepare and understand the process of using census data in the 13th, 14th, and 15th districts to draw new district lines.
The state Redistricting Commission will be hosting public input meetings during the spring and fall of 2021 in every congressional district. In the past, testimony at these hearings has not been powerful or compelling. The League of Women Voters wants to change this in 2021. We will provide training and encourage a wide range of people to testify. These workshops will share tools to help participants to find their own voice and build effective, personal testimony.
For more information about the program, please contact Dori Baker, Asian Pacific Islander Coalition – Yakima County, at doribaker2020@gmail.com, or Delores Irwin at dirwin@kittitasleague.org.