Hearings were held in the Oregon Senate and Wisconsin Assembly on proposals to adjust the census to eliminate prison-based gerrymandering today.
by Peter Wagner,
February 2, 2010
This afternoon, the Wisconsin Assembly held a hearing on AJR63 [PDF], the Census Adjustment Amendment, today. The video and audio of the Assembly Committee on Elections and Campaign Reform hearing is available online courtesy of Wisconsin Eye (start at 57:37 in). The amendment would prohibit the state and local governments from using prison populations to pad legislative districts.
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A new report on prison-based gerrymandering in Illinois examines how the Census Bureau's prison miscount harms democracy in the state and county government.
February 2, 2010
Census Bureau counts Illinois prisoners in wrong place; access to democracy distorted
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — The 2010 Census is rapidly approaching, but an old error threatens the count, charges a new report by the non-profit Prison Policy Initiative. The report, Importing Constituents: Prisoners and Political Clout in Illinois, explains that the U.S. Census counts people incarcerated in state and federal prisons as residents of the prison location, and that creates big problems for democracy at both the state and local level. “Crediting Chicago’s population to downstate prisons changes the balance of power in Illinois and within rural counties,” said Executive Director and report co-author Peter Wagner.
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Added a page of organizing materials to support eliminating prison-based gerrymandering in Wisconsin.
by Peter Wagner,
February 1, 2010
We’ve added a page of materials for people organizing against prison-based gerrymandering in Wisconsin. Included is information about the reform efforts, background materials and 16 fact sheets.
