The Dragon District

by: Douglas E. Lindner

Wed Feb 15, 2012 at 19:13:17 PM EST

Full size of this image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...
Full page from the March 26, 1812 Boston Gazzette: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...
(h/t Wikipedia)

Observations about the proposed new NH Executive Council district map (by Rep. Lucy Weber, I'm told) led to a follow-up by Granite State Progress:

Full size of this image: http://static.ow.ly/photos/ori...
(h/t Caitlin Rollo)

Under the Radar: Executive Council Redistricting Plan

by: William Tucker

Fri Feb 10, 2012 at 16:05:25 PM EST

With little fanfare, the House Special Committee on Redistricting approved a redistricting plan for the five Executive Council districts this week.

The most dramatic change in the new map is in District Two, currently held by Councilor Dan St. Hilaire. Here's Rep. Lucy Weber's description:

District Two now resembles a dragon that has swallowed a medium sized mammal. This most tortuous of districts starts at the Connecticut River with Charlestown and Walpole, curves south to include Keene east to Marlborough to Dublin, then curves north only to bulge out again around the Concord area, from whence it zigzags east in a line a single town wide until it reaches the seacoast and curves south again to end at Portsmouth.

The newly drawn district should be a safe Democratic seat with the addition of Democratic strongholds Keene (D+19), Durham (D+21), Dover (D+11) and Portsmouth (D+18). The district would become six points more Democratic than it is today.

The primary Republican beneficiary of this gerrymandering is Councilor Chris Sununu. His District Three loses Durham, Dover and Portsmouth and gains Hudson (R+4), Pelham (R+8) and Raymond (R+5). The proposed district would be five points more Republican than it is currently.

District Four, which becomes an open seat with the retirement of Councilor Ray Wieczorek, would be slightly more friendly for a Democratic challenger. The district, anchored by Manchester, trades Hudson (R+4), Pelham (R+8), Raymond (R+5) and Litchfield (R+9) for Goffstown (R+6), Bow (EVEN) and Pembroke (EVEN).

LTE: Unfair to Deering

by: nhveedub

Sat Jan 14, 2012 at 09:14:20 AM EST

http://www.concordmonitor.com/...

Any way you look at it, Hillsboro and Deering are sister towns. Through the Hillsboro-Deering school system, our kids play and learn together. We buy our gas, groceries and takeout from the same businesses, we drive the same roads, and we read the same local paper - we are socially connected.

It seems logical that our representatives in Concord should represent both towns, but that's not the redistricting plan proposed by House Republicans. For the upcoming decade, the plan allocates three representatives for Deering and Weare to share, plus a floterial district with Goffstown.

Deering residents are silenced under this Republican plan, politically linked to a town whose population is four times larger, and to which no social connection exists.

The process of redistricting was retained solely by Republicans, and was not shared with Democrats or the public until the final working version was revealed. Only the few who worked on the plan know why Deering and Hillsboro were not paired together, which should have been the logical starting point.

Because of the state and federal laws ignored, this Republican redistricting plan will surely go to the courts, wasting taxpayer money the party claims to cherish.

A redistricting process where adults exchange ideas and reach compromises best suited to the reality of each town's social connections, by obtaining input from all possible sources, while fulfilling state and federal requirements - without a court order - isn't too much to ask from our elected representatives.

An urban response to the Senate redistricting proposal

by: FrankLloydMike

Thu Jan 12, 2012 at 13:16:10 PM EST

I started with the Republican proposal and tweaked the areas that I know reasonably well--mostly southern New Hampshire. I'm not sure of the political implications of the tweaks, but I think they would certainly result in better representation in terms of local interests shared by communities within districts.

The statewide proposal I have drawn can be seen here.
A detail of the densely populated districts in the southeast is shown here.

A Partisan Analysis of the Senate Redistricting Plan

by: William Tucker

Mon Jan 09, 2012 at 06:00:00 AM EST

Thursday, the Senate Internal Affairs Committee released its redistricting plan for the 24 state Senate districts. To help understand the electoral implications of the plan, I've compared the Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for the proposed districts to that of the the current districts. (See the New Hampshire Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for a discussion of the Cook PVI and methodology.)

Observers from Rep. Steve Vaillancourt to Paul Twomey have said this plan could have been a lot worse for Democrats. Nevertheless, the proposal clearly improves Republican electoral chances by concentrating Democratic votes in current Democratic strongholds. Four of the five districts with seats held by Democrats today will become even more Democratic under this plan. The fifth Democratic seat, held by Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, is unchanged -- despite rumors that it would be targeted for a Republican takeover.

Meanwhile, of the 16 Republican incumbents seeking reelection, nine will benefit from a more Republican-leaning electorate and five will run for reelection in districts with exactly the same make-up as before. The big winners are Sen. Fenton Groen, whose district will be four points more Republican, Sens. Russell Prescott and Bob Odell (five points more Republican) and Sen. Nancy Stiles (seven points more Republican).

The proposed plan will have a public hearing Wednesday at 1:00 PM in LOB 205/207. The Senate will likely vote to adopt the plan on January 25. A district-by-district analysis follows below the fold.

Senate Redistricting

by: Mike Hoefer

Fri Jan 06, 2012 at 14:31:10 PM EST

"While redistricting is supposed to be an open and public proposal, this plan was designed in backrooms with clear partisan motivation to promote a future of Republican domination in the Statehouse.

Bill Text (with the details) Update: this must be old version as text is not accurate to the Maps...

Anyone have a map? Thanks JBB
Map (2.7MB .pdf)
Populations (74K .pdf)
Deviations (41K .pdf)

Republican Leadership Redistricting Plan Purposely Defies the New Hampshire Constitution

by: TerieNorelli

Tue Dec 20, 2011 at 16:57:30 PM EST

"The Republican Leadership plan to reapportion House districts is unconstitutional.  It violates the New Hampshire Constitution's guarantee that towns and wards that deserve their own representative shall have their own representative."

"There are 152 towns and wards in the state with enough population to deserve their own representative.  The Republican leadership's plan gives only 86 of these their own representative.  That's only 56.6% compliance.  The America Votes plan that I offered gives 143 of these towns and wards their own district, which amounts to 94.1% of those that are deserving.  More than 70% of the people voted in 2006 to constitutionalize a local representation requirement.  The Republican leadership plan ignores the plain and clear will of the voters."

"There are many other objections to the Republican Leadership plan, but the voters need look no further than the constitution they wrote to oppose this plan.  Redistricting sets policy for the next 10 years.  It's important.  It should also be constitutional."

House "Breathtaking Disrespect" for N.H. Constitution

by: William Tucker

Sat Dec 17, 2011 at 09:37:14 AM EST

The New Hampshire House is moving forward with a plan to bypass the Governor and send its redistricting plan directly to the Secretary of State for implementation. Rep. Paul Mirski, chair of the House Special Committee on Redistricting, says lawmakers will accomplish this by submitting the plan in a House Concurrent Order rather than a House Bill.

Rep. Steve Winter, sponsor of the HCO, points to Article 9 of the New Hampshire Constitution.

"It says nothing about the Governor at all," he said. "It is the duty of the Legislature. We have been doing it through a bill, making a law that these are the districts, but looking through the Constitution we cannot see where the Governor is supposed to play a role in that."

Republican Rep. Steve Vaillancourt says the approach will "most certainly" result in a lawsuit.

"[I]t is both unconstitutional and unwise, is a slap at the separation of powers provision. It would set a dangerous precedent which could come back to bite the same Republican Party which is pushing it today."

Democratic Rep. David Pierce gets the last word, calling it "breathtaking disrespect for the constitution."

Pierce argues those in favor of using an HCO are picking parts of the Constitution that work for them and ignoring the document as a whole, and added something as "vitally important" as redistricting should be subject to the same checks and balances as other legislation.

Sorg's Laughable Argument Against "One Man, One Vote"

by: William Tucker

Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 16:49:10 PM EST

In a letter to the House Special Committee on Redistricting, state Rep. Gregory Sorg argues that the Supreme Court's "one man, one vote" standard is "fundamentally wrong" and criticizes Chief Justice Earl Warren for his lack of experience with, and hostility to, the political process.

Chief Justice Warren was fundamentally wrong -- as judges almost always are when they opine on the political process, with which they typically have little if any experience and to which they are institutionally and temperamentally hostile.

For the record, Justice Warren's "little if any" political experience included serving as district attorney for Alameda County, Attorney General of California, three terms as Governor of California, and the 1948 Republican vice-presidential nomination. Rep. Sorg has considerably less.

And here's how the man who criticized Warren for hostility to the political process describes the federal government:

The least representative branch (the federal judiciary) of the least representative legislature (the U.S. Congress), whose members' political appointments are confirmed by the least representative legislative chamber (the U.S. Senate), in connivance with Senate-confirmed politically-appointed and career attorneys of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Partisan Makeup of the House Redistricting Plan

by: William Tucker

Fri Dec 16, 2011 at 06:00:00 AM EST

Wednesday, the House Special Committee on Redistricting released the House leadership's redistricting plan. The plan, which creates new voting districts for the state's 400 House members, reflects population shifts measured by the 2010 census.

This plan varies dramatically from the current plan due, in large part, to a 2006 constitutional amendment that requires every town and city ward with the minimum population to get its own representative. This proposed plan expands the number of districts from the current 103 to 200.

To help understand the electoral implications, I have updated my original analysis of the partisan makeup of House districts based on this plan. (See the New Hampshire Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for a discussion of the Cook PVI and methodology.) This chart provides the Partisan Voting Index (PVI) for each new district.

Using methodology similar to that I used to project the 2010 state House elections (Part 1, Part 2), I projected electoral results using the current House districts and compared them to projected results using the districts in the proposed plan. The projections indicate a 1-2 seat gain for Republicans in state-wide results for the new plan, well within the model's margin of error. For example, the model indicates a 202-198 Democratic majority under the current plan would become a 200-200 tie under the proposed plan.

In the next few days, I'll take a closer county-by-county look at the new plan and the electoral projections.

House Redistricting

by: Mike Hoefer

Thu Dec 15, 2011 at 13:23:34 PM EST

Are you seeing any "Things that make you go Hmmm...?"

GSP Video: House Republicans Deny Democrats, Public Redistricting Software

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Fri Nov 04, 2011 at 17:40:29 PM EDT

Redistricting software was developed earlier this year to aid in preparing and proposing plans for redistricting. As such, you would expect that the entire NH Redistricting Committee -- as well as others -- would be able to access and use the program.

But not so, according to House Speaker Bill O'Brien - or Chair Paul Mirski (R-Enfield) or House Counsel Ed Mosca, depending on who is covering for the shell game today - because it appears that only Republican legislators are being allowed to access and use the software.

A new video by Granite State Progress shows several scenes from the Cheshire County public hearing on redistricting and this week's most recent Special Committee on Redistricting meeting where members of the public and Democratic legislators can be seen requesting access to the state-developed redistricting software. In response, Mirski and Vice Chair David Bates (R-Windham) state several times that no one has used the software and that it might not be released to the public - immediately before other Republican legislators expressly admit to having access to the software.

(More below the fold)

Redistricting Hearings--Round One

by: Lucy Weber

Sat Oct 15, 2011 at 09:57:15 AM EDT

The Nashua hearing was very well attended, with over 60 persons present, including current and past State Representatives, both Democratic and Republican, other current or former elected officials, and representatives from various cities and towns, as well as citizens speaking for themselves.

Subcommittee Chairman Bates opened the hearing by reading a prepared statement, stating that there is no current plan for statewide redistricting, and that the committee was not there to answer questions, and would not answer questions.  He said the Committee members were there at the very beginning of the process to listen to what people wanted with respect to redrawing district lines for the US House, the NH Executive Council, the County Commissioners, and the NH House seats.  He explained that the State Senate traditionally draws the lines for the NH Senate districts.  And then we heard testimony.

Certain themes emerged immediately.  

House Redistricting Committee: Public Hearing Schedule

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Wed Oct 05, 2011 at 15:00:58 PM EDT

All meetings start at 7:00 p.m. I'm posting the full list here along with the chair or vice chair who will be running it. If you can make it, please let us know. We'd love to send you information on back channels to assist with good questions to ask and points to make in your respective area(s).

Thursday, October 13th at 7:00 p.m.
Carroll County - Mountain View Community Nursing Home, Ossipee (Rep. Mirski)
Hillsborough County - Nashua Public Library, Theatre Room, Nashua (Rep. Bates)

Tuesday, October 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Belknap County - Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon Street East, Laconia (Rep. Mirski)
Cheshire County - Keene Public Library Auditorium, Keene (Rep. Bates)

Thursday, October 20th at 7:00 p.m.
Grafton County - UNH Cooperative Extension, 3855 Dartmouth College Highway, N. Haverhill (Rep. Mirski)
Rockingham County - Hilton Auditorium, Rockingham County Nursing Home, Brentwood (Rep. Bates)

Tuesday, October 25th at 7:00 p.m.
Coos County - Lancaster Town Hall, Lancaster (Rep. Mirski)
Strafford County - Strafford County Superior Court, Court Room 1, Dover (Rep. Bates)

Thursday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m.
Sullivan County - Probate Court, 3rd floor, Sullivan County Administrative Building, Newport (Rep. Mirski)
Merrimack County - Merrimack County Administration Building, Basement Conference Room, Concord (Rep. Bates)

Additionally, if you have points or questions to consider (keeping in mind that this is a public forum), post them here or email them to us on the link provided above and we'll help re-circulate. Thanks, all.

House Republican PR Alert: Redistricting

by: Zandra Rice Hawkins

Fri Sep 30, 2011 at 17:59:00 PM EDT

These poor House Republican leaders just can't seem to get it right.

Last week, the Chair of the Special Committee on Redistricting, Rep. Paul Mirski (R- Enfield), took heat during a committee hearing for the obvious lack of transparency and public input in the redistricting process this year. The criticism so bothered Rep. Mirski that, even though he had recused himself from the committee at that particular point to introduce and lobby for a bill he was introducing, he retook his seat specifically to negate the charges.

Disagreeing with the criticism levied by America Votes NH, Chair Mirski told committee members that the public did not need to be involved in the redistricting process because:

"It's a very complicated problem and quite frankly because it is a mathematical problem it doesn't lend itself to the sort of give and take with the public that may have been the case in the previous redistricting ... We have been holding off on this because we really have no way to utilize the public forum to get those answers. I just want to make that point." - Rep. Mirski, Redistricting Committee, 9.20.11

Never mind that public input sessions are a common and expected practice of past redistricting committees.

Just over a week later, though, Rep. Mirski is changing his tune and has announced a press conference for this coming Tuesday morning to release details on a series of 10 public hearings across the state related to redistricting. (Perhaps our poking around State House archives and the several inquiries to committee members past and present to determine the public input process and timeline for past redistricting committees caught his attention?)

(More below the fold)

Redistricting for an urban voice in the state Senate

by: FrankLloydMike

Tue Aug 09, 2011 at 16:08:19 PM EDT

With all the controversial topics being discussed in Concord this year, the decennial redistricting process hasn't been on the radar much.  That's not good news for Manchester, though, which has been oddly gerrymandered, with its political influence in the state splintered, for at least the past decade.

One topic that gets a lot of attention in New Hampshire is how often the North Country is overlooked, due largely to its low population and despite the amount of tourism revenue it brings in.  Less discussed, though, is how tilted state senate districts in the southern tier are toward suburbs at the expense of the state's largest cities.

With just under 110,000 residents, Manchester could neatly support two senate districts of its own, with each of the state's 24 senate districts to be comprised of roughly 54,853 people after the 2010 census.  Despite this, Manchester is currently divided into three districts (16, 18 and 20), all of which encompass suburbs with demographic profiles and legislative priorities that are much different than those of the Queen City.  Currently, two of these three senators are residents of Manchester, but even if all three are Mancunians, they must represent-and if they hope to be re-elected, satisfy-the needs and priorities of voters in suburbs as diverse as Hooksett and Dunbarton as much as the voters of Manchester.  This ends up depriving the state Senate of a uniquely urban voice, which could represent the needs and desires of residents in the state's largest city, as well as urban areas too small to have their own senator, such as Portsmouth and Concord.

Redistricting, What's Up With That?

by: Mike Hoefer

Tue Aug 02, 2011 at 10:01:06 AM EDT

I post this in hopes that some members of the BH community whom have been through this before will comment on the process and timelines. Is there opportunity for public input? Where are the biggest risks for Gerrymandering?

I'd assume that the biggest risks for "shaping" electoral come in the State Senate and Executive council.

As this is a once a decade process I hope that BH can play a part in making sure the process is fair and public.

(If any hamsters want to take this topic on in a dedicated, focused manner please let me know!)

Mirski: I've Read The Constitution; Boy, Are We In Trouble

by: Kathy Sullivan 2

Tue Feb 08, 2011 at 09:24:36 AM EST

Mirski said he's read the constitution and believes it defines redistricting as a purely legislative function.

Rep. David Hess, R-Hooksett, a committee member and former state prosecutor, agreed.

"Redistricting of the body is delegated to ourselves," Hess said.

9 Comments: Redistricting

by: elwood

Fri Jan 28, 2011 at 08:25:00 AM EST

This happens once every ten years, unless Tom Delay tries to get cute - and he is currently out of circulation.

Some thoughts on the process below the fold.  

Why the Majority Counts

by: Jennifer Daler

Mon Oct 19, 2009 at 19:34:36 PM EDT

Every 10 years after the Census, the New Hampshire Legislature has to realign all election districts in the state, including the 400-member House of Representatives, the 24-person Senate, the two congressional seats in the U.S. House and the five who get elected from independent parts of the state to the Executive Council.

Many people have asked me about the often strange State House districts created the last time the census was taken. For example, Hillsborough District 4 has 5 towns, 9 school districts, and many towns are served by different agencies for social and other services. Just at the school level, Temple is part of the 10 town Conval district, Wilton and Lyndeborough share a high achool, but have separate elementary schools (this may be changing,) Mount Vernon shares a high school with Amherst, and New Boston goes to Goffstown. Also, New Boston, Lyndeborough and Mont Vernon share a State Senate district with Greenfield, Bedford and Merrimack. Wilton and Temple are in a district that stretches from Amherst to Peterborough.