Iowa Legislature Public Hearings

Marie Herring []

Map 1 had been drafted in accordance to Iowa law, by the nonpartisan experts working in the LSA. This process has already been delayed due to Covid 19 and delays in the U.S. census. I respectfully ask the legislature to approve this map when convening October 5th.Thank you.

Nancy Porter []

I wonder if you even considered the map drawn by the young man who graduated from Grinnell but is currently enrolled at in a graduate program? His population deviation was 5. Cory McCartan NE 797,590SE 797, 595W: 797,594Central: 797,590Thank you for continuing this democratic process of fair maps, and working so hard to make it possible.

Cynthia Niebuhr-Hartley []

I want the new maps to be drawn up by nonpartisan experts. Iowans like me deserve fair maps.

Jerry Uhlman [CWA retired]

Iowan's want and expect fair bipartison disticting.

Pam Giles []

People in other states around the country have experienced the devastating effects caused by partisan redistricting. One party makes sure that they will always be in power even though they are in the minority of that area. This disenfranchises the voters that are the victims of partisan redistricting. One would assume the majority voters in an area would win an election, but they are unable to because districts have been shaped to ensure that the majority party cannot win. Our democracy was founded on the basis that everyone has equal rights, and that includes the equal right to vote. Fair, nonpartisan redistricting is crucial to ensuring that everyone DOES have the equal right to vote. Our country has always done better when people with differing ideas work together and make compromises. Fair, nonpartisan redistricting enables people to have more of an equal chance for both parties to be involved and to work together. Elected legislators must represent ALL of their constituents, not just the ones in their party. As you are considering the new maps, please remember that we ALL have the equal right to vote and to have our legislators represent us and protect our rights. We ALL should have an equal say in our democracy and not have rights taken away because only one party is always in power. Please ensure that the maps are fair and nonpartisan so that ALL voters have a chance to shape the future of our democracy and for Iowa to continue to be an example for the rest of the country.

Linda Simonton [General Public]

Continue Iowa's tradition of fair, nonpartisan maps drawn by independent experts.

Anonymous []

Hi my name is Hannah Bonner and I live in Iowa City. I appreciate that Iowa uses a nonpartisan process for redistricting and I support this politically unbiased map. I encourage the legislature to approve this map and reject any efforts to inject partisanship into the redistricting process. Voting for a politically neutral map will keep our elections fair for years to come and ensure that every Iowan gets the representation they deserve.

timothy James Kautza [General public]

I'm so proud of Iowa's redistricting process. It's so fair to have the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency (LSA) lead the process instead of politicians drawing the lines using partisan criteria to decide where the districts go. What LSA has recently proposed has resulted in what seems to me to be extremely fair and unpartisan distribution of voters within districts. The districts are compact and equal in population as they can be. The LSA proposed map measures up well against the standards laid out in Iowa Code. I hope politicians of both parties approve the proposed maps without political tampering.

Brooke Fischels []

I urge legislators to support fair and impartial legislative districts. Our state is lauded for our best practices in fair district maps, and it provides us stability and trust which is hard to find in politics.

Ann Pollet [General Public]

Please approve the Plan 1 redistricted maps drawn by the LSA. I believe them to be fair and nonpartisan. These maps signal to the rest of the country that Iowa continues to be a leader when it comes to the redistricting process.

Marian Kuper [General public]

Thanks to Iowa law and the adherence of Iowa's Legislative Services Agency (LSA) to longstanding high standards of nonpartisanship, Iowa enjoys a stellar reputation for at least to date drawing new Congressional Districts (based on each new decade's U.S. Census data) that are as equally populous, contiguous and compact as possible without regard to political considerations. This process is as it should be, and it deserves the acrossthenation applause it has received in the past. I want to see those accolades continue, because I take great pride in my state, and especially in these times of so much partisan rancor, I'm pleased that we continue to have this great opportunity to show the rest of the U.S. how to do this right. It's for this reason that I already know I will be satisfied with ANY of the maps the LSA produces. This first one is just fine. I urge the legislature to adopt it. What I pray DOESN'T take place is that the Legislature rejects ANY LSAgenerated map and proceeds to fashion something different, because that action would only be seen as taking a partisan axe to Iowa's todate stellar reputation of nonpartisanship in this everydecade endeavor. So do the right thing, Iowa legislators, and in the process, make your fellow Iowans proud. Adopt an LSA map. In fact, save us all a lot of time & trouble by just adopting this first one. Then we can move on, quickly, which is something a whole lot of Iowans would like to do, given the alreadydelayed dissemination of U.S. Census data.

Jeanne Bancroft [General Public]

I support the newly drawn congressional district map as it has been presented. It is fair and non=partisan.

Jane Downs []

I believe the redistributing needs to remain non political and the lines should be drawn in a logical manner. I dont want to see these crazy shapes we see in other states trying to keep a political party in power in that district.

Philip Goldfarb Styrt [General Public]

These maps are geographically compact and reasonably drawn. There is no good reason not to accept them.

Marisue Hartung []

I am proud that Iowa has in place a fair and logical method of redistricting. It makes sense to have an impartial body redistrict the state. It makes the process fair and open. It is my hope that the elected representatives will continue in this fashion and accept one the current or the second draft submitted by the LSB

Polly Horton [General public]

Its important that the process focuses on voting rights and fair representation. Im watching to be sure that Iowas nonpartisan process is followed.

Thomas Carsner [Retired]

Map #1 meets the regulatory requirements for population, compactness, contiguity, and others. It is a fair map. It is judged by the LSA to be the best map. Iowa deserves the best. A second or third map would be less than bestwhy would we want less than the best? This map essentially maintains the status quo for Congressional districtsone Democratic registration significant advantage; one Republican significant advantage; one Democratic marginal advantage; one Republican marginal advantage. Competitive contests for Congress are good for Iowa, good for America, and good for democracy. I urge approval of Map #1.

Seeta Mangra-Stubbs [General Public]

I'd like to voice my support for the first proposed map for redistricting. We should trust a nonpartisan group rather than letting it shift into the hands of any one party. Please support the initial map to combat gerrymandering and to uphold fair elections.

Anne Spencer []

It is essential that redistricting remain nonpartisan, especially in a state that has traditionally been held up as an example of thoughtful, fair and nonpartisan practices when looking at redistricting. We cannot continue to allow nonpartisan issues to be undermined by politics.

Brena Schwartz-Corona []

Ir is extremely important that THERE IS NO PARTISAN REDISTRICTING of any of Iowa's political districts. Otherwise, we might as well stay home instead of voting considering ourselves inhabitants of the "Russian State of Iowa" where voter "choice" is not an option. ! The most recent first proposal by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency appears to be neutral. Therefore, it should be accepted.

Mary Mason [General Public]

The redistricting map drawn up by the LSA appears to be fair. I fully support the map they have provided.

Arnold Shileny []

I appreciate all the work by the LSA in preparing this first redistricting plan. It looks to be very fair numbers wise and I urge the Iowa legislature to accept this plan.

Peter Hird [Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO]

Our organization trusts the current LSA to draw a map in a nonpartisan manner and we support any map that is drawn by the agency without legislative amendments or political agendas. Thank you for providing the opportunity for public input.

Charles Hodges [Public]

The map should be approved. The entire country is watching to see if Iowa can actually follow our nonpartisan tradition in these times most think we cannot. Just because GOP strategists do not like it, if you create the maps according to population, not politics, as was tasked, this maps deviation of under 100 ppl across four districts is extremely fair. Just bc the GOP doesnt like the direction of demographic shifts to urban does not mean they should be allowed to decimate yet another Iowa tradition when it doesnt suit them politically. Approve the map.

Shannon Patrick []

These maps make sense with the way Iowa's population had changed in the last decade, and I'm glad to see Iowa City and Cedar Rapids together, since so many commute between the two. These are sensible maps, and I support them.