In these divided, deeply polarized times, there is a rare bi-partisan effort to fix our broken political system, at least with regard to the practice known as "gerrymandering." In North Carolina some Republicans and some Democrats are working on a new plan to redistrict North Carolina after the 2020 census. There are several organizations now working to promote this legislation which actually passed the NC House in 2012, but was never acted upon in the Senate. Both liberal oriented groups such as NC Common Cause and the libertarian oriented John Locke Foundation have endorsed this effort. Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot, a Republican, and current mayor of Raleigh, Charles Meeker, a Democrat, are leading a group called "North Carolinians to End Gerrymandering Now" to help end the practice in North Carolina, and adopt practices to benefit the people of North Carolina rather than to benefit the party in power.
EHST is very pleased to anounce that Jay Gladieux, Project Director for North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform, will present a review of the proposed legislation at our next meeting on May 18th at Extraordinary Ventures from 1:30-3:30. He has gathered three panelists who will also speak about the legislation and the need for all concerned citizens of all potlical parties to push for its approval. Dustin Chicurel-Bayard communications director of the Sierra Club in North Carolina, Mitchell Kokai, communications director of the John Locke Foundation and William Hennessee, President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Association of Educators will be our panelists. There will be a brief period for questions and answers from the audience after the panel discussion.
Please plan to attend this important program. Although 2020 may seem like a long way away, we should seize this opportunity to fight for common sense election reform.
