More on Redistricting and Term Limits

Responding to John Gear's comments, Brett Bellmore writes:

"The state overall leans D but the US House delegation is 9-6 R-D, and both state houses are R dominated, tribute to the skill of the gerrymander artists."

Rick, while there's been some gerrymandering since Republicans took over, they had to get the majority legitimately, first. To some extent Democrats had naturally gerrymandered themselves, by so overwhelmingly dominating a few cities like Detroit and Flint, while doing so wrtetchedly through most of the state.

Anyway, I don't think repeals of our term limits law here in Michigan have much hope. The only people pushing it are the incumbent legislators, and lobbyists, and they look too self-interested in doing so. Perhaps because they are.

Might be worth reforming redistricting, in addition to term limits, though. And I hear some buzz about switching to a part-time legislature.

Posted by Rick Hasen at February 1, 2005 07:54 PM