TAKE ACTION: SUPPORT NON-PARTISAN REDISTRICTING IN MINNESOTA

From a friend: please call/ email today if you can on behalf of non-partisan redistricting in Minnesota. See action item below.

IMPORTANT TIME SENSITIVE REQUEST FOR MINNESOTA FRIENDS-- PLEASE READ AND SHARE THIS POST!

All voices matter in Minnesota, and all votes must count. However, Minnesota’s current process for drawing voting maps removes legislators’ accountability to their constituents. Our legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, draw voting maps with the intent of protecting their incumbency and their party’s control of our government. When issues important to you and your community aren’t given hearings at the legislature, this is why. Protected legislators have no incentive to respond to their constituents. They are “safe.” The good news is that it is within our power to change this practice to protect you and your vote and not legislators.

Every ten years, following the census, the voting maps are redrawn. Now is the time to enact legislation to put Minnesota voters first. Common Cause MN, a nonpartisan grassroots organization, has focused for three years, working on both sides of the aisle, on bringing common sense redistricting reforms to Minnesota. The result is a bill that captures true bipartisan effort, protecting the process from partisan interests and allowing direct participation by public members as commissioners, and contains no principles that protect incumbents.

A competing bill has been introduced that creates a commission consisting solely of five retired judges, excluding any other members of the public, and does contain principles that ultimately protect incumbents. Senator Ann Rest and Representative Jennifer Schultz have introduced the bill, SF582 in the Senate and HF1018 in the House. You can link to their bill here.

TAKE ACTION:

PLEASE CALL AND EMAIL SEN. REST AND REP. SCHULTZ TODAY AND ASK THEM NOT TO SUPPORT POLICY THAT EXCLUDES MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND PUTS INCUMBENTS AHEAD OF VOTERS.

ASK THEM TO SUPPORT COMMON CAUSE MN’S REDISTRICTING REFORM BILL, WHICH ALLOWS FOR DIRECT PUBLIC PARTICIPATION ON THE COMMISSION AND DOESN'T PROTECT INCUMBENTS.

Rep. Schultz - rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn
Phone: 651-296-2228
Sen. Rest - sen.ann.rest@senate.mn
Phone: 651-296-2889

Other key legislators to contact, especially if they represent you:
Rep. Raymond Dehn District 59B
Rep. Kristin Bahner District 34B
Rep. John Persell District 5A
Rep. Michael Nelson District 40A
Rep. Mike Freiberg District 45B
Rep. John Huot District 57B
Rep. Liz Olson District 7B
Rep. Cheryl Youakim, District 46B
Rep. Andrew Carlson District 50B
Contact information here: https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/list

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