Taking Independent Redistricting to Court

INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING

• CA: Daily News Editorial: Flawed process -- City and county redistricting plans are vulnerable to political interests (LA Daily News) Not that everything about the state's independent redistricting commission is perfect. The commission faced a short timetable and was slow to get its act together. It submitted congressional and state Senate and Assembly maps that especially angered Republicans and Latino activists, inspiring legal challenges from both groups. But in general the state panel did what it was supposed to, deliberating openly and without obvious favor to office-holders and parties, which is why the results satisfied particular interest groups less than citizens at large. Can the city and county match this success? There are reasons for doubt.
• MN: Looking to the people to fix a broken redistricting system (By Alleen Brown, Twin Cities Daily Planet) This year, as in every redistricting year since the 1960s, the governor vetoed the legislature's proposed district changes. Governor Dayton said the Republican legislators' map had zero bipartisan support and gave unfair advantage to Republican incumbents. Now the issue has gone to a court-appointed panel of five judges. They will hear testimony from the public between October 6 and 14. Redistricting must be complete by February 21, 2012.

Cyndi Lesher: Minnesota Needs Ranked Choice Voting

RANKED VOTING
If we want to swap polarization for moderation, we should adopt Ranked Choice Voting (By Cyndi Lesher, MinnPost.com) Under our "plurality-take-all" system, candidates win by mobilizing their party base and scaring undecided and independent voters away from their opponents. Divide-and-conquer campaigns work in a system that locks voters into a "lesser-of-two-evils" choice.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS 9/5/10

INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• INDEPENDENTS WILL DECIDE CALIFORNIA'S NEXT GOVERNOR (by Greg Lucas, CAIVN) Recently, the Whitman campaign says it plans to reach out to Bay Area Independent voters – about one quarter of decline-to-state voters statewide.  So far, Independents - who are not a homogeneous bloc of voters to begin with -- remain evenly divided between Brown and Whitman.  As of July, among likely Independent voters, Brown is favored by 30 percent and Whitman by 28 percent, according to polling by the Public Policy Institute of California. Another 12 percent back other candidates. Thirty percent remain undecided. 
• Anti-war groups battle for survival (By: Abby Phillip, Politico) As Obama catapulted to the front of a crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, his criticism of the Iraq war motivated thousands of volunteers to hit the streets for him. In turn, Democrats and war-weary independent voters surged to the polls, pushing Obama, as well as down-ticket Democrats, into office.
• President Obama is unlikely to face a Democratic foe in 2012 primary (BY KENNETH R. BAZINET, NY Daily News) The left's grievance list is long. They believe Obama is infatuated with centrist, independent voters at the expense of the liberal agenda. Many want U.S. forces out of Afghanistan.

OPEN PRIMARIES

• Minnesota pushes back at partisan extremes (By KEVIN DIAZ, Star Tribune) From a ranked choice initiative in Minnesota to a single open primary plan in California, the search is on for ways to rein in the influence of major party primary elections that seem to be drifting toward the extremes of the electorate.... But under a California-style "Top Two" primary system, Horner and the rest of the gubernatorial field would be left off the ballot. To critics, therein lies the hitch.... Instead, Massey and others are pushing for a statewide ranked choice voting system, similar to one pioneered in Minneapolis, where Mayor R.T. Rybak is a big supporter. "It's not about helping one ideology as much as helping more people to vote," he said.
• Consider an independent for 31B (By AL HEIN | Mabel, Minn., Winona Daily News) Al Hein independent candidate, pro-open primaries: In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.”

GOV RACES

• Despite uphill climb, Haynes still trying to run for governor (Wyoming News, By Michelle Dynes) The Cheyenne rancher and retired surgeon's petition to get onto the Nov. 2 ballot fell short by about 600 signatures. He needed 4,988 registered voters to meet the requirements for an independent nomination. (Running as a write-in, has support of Constitution Party of Wyoming)

BIPARTISANSHIP

• Our View: Maine's moderates should use their clout (Maine Sunday Telegram) As Americans, however, we have to question whether this kind of highly partisan legislative process is healthy for our republic. Pulling a couple of votes from an atypical state is not the same thing as building a national consensus. We need more than just Maine's senators to build a moderate coalition that can govern.

NEW YORK

• New York Times Endorses Johnson Over Rangel (By Lauren W. Whittington, CQ-Roll Call) The other candidates running against Rangel are state Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV, banker Vince Morgan and labor activist Jonathan Tasini. A fifth Democrat, Craig Schley, is running on the Independence Party line.
• Endorsements for New York (NY Times) The biggest name in the race is Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV, whose father was a political superstar in that area. Mr. Powell, however, has done little in Albany, even by Albany’s do-little standards. He has shown no reason for voters to promote him.

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

CONROY V. STATE COMMITTEE of the INDEPENDENCE PARTY OF NEW YORK

• Indy Party Control Lawsuit Decided (Elizabeth Benjamin, Daily News/Daily Politics)
• Top NY court says state party committees have authority (AP/CBS 6 Albany)
• Highest State Court in New York Rules in Favor of State Political Parties and Against Their Local Organizations (Ballot Access News)
• New York City Independence Party: Voters, not courts, will decide future of the party (The Hankster) Statement by county chairs of NYC Independence Party

OREGON
John Frohnmayer quits the race for U.S. Senate, cites lack of support (The Oregonian)

MINNESOTA Independence Party
Fore! Could a Ventura Senate candidacy hang on Wednesday's golf game? (Minnesota Post)

CAMPAIGN
Independent voters seen as crucial for victory (San Diego Union-Tribune)

OTHER REFORM

• UTAH: Referendum limits law sent to Utah high court (The Salt Lake Tribune)
• PENNSYLVANIA: Bogus reasons block redistricting reform (Allentown Morning Call)

TODAY'S NEWS HEADLINES for INDEPENDENT VOTERS

• Tuesday Repub debate: Independents turned off by reduced Dem field (Detroit Free Press) and here's an accounting of the debate (411mania.com)
• More independent voters in Minnesota than partisans (Mankato The Free Press) and Editorial: Poll results should wake up major parties-Fewer Minnesotans identify with Democrats, Republicans. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)
• Don't give your voter mojo away! REFUSE TO REGISTER WITH A PARTY (OpEdNews)
• Old Media Impact on Indies Has Diminished (Wide Open: Cleveland blog)
• Obama, Edwards Withdraw From Michigan Primary (All Headline News)
• Peter Hutchinson to take over top job at Bush Foundation [no relation] (Minneapolis Star Tribune) and here (Pioneer Press)

Minnesota: Al Franken and independents

"The question is will he turn off some Democratic voters or will they be worried about him," Lau said. "How will his candidacy lie with the independent voters?"... (Minnesota West Central Tribune)

Minnesota: Campaign finance reform? Not likely

Minnesota Campaign Finance Reports / Interest groups outspent '06 campaignsGovernor's race drew $7 million in unsolicited aid, BY BRIAN BAKST, Associated Press (Pioneer Press) --From buying buttons to lawn signs to big-time TV commercials, outside interest groups proved to be a greater financial force in Minnesota state politics than ever before. ...Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Peter Hutchinson, who had no major independent expenditures for or against him, said he doubts there will be substantial changes to the campaign finance system anytime soon. Even if there is, he questions whether it will make much of a difference. "Money is like water: It'll find a way," he said....