FAIR DISTRICTS DATA UPDATE

The US Census Bureau announced today that 2010 census data should be released next week.

Under the Legislative Resources section at www.floridaredistricting.org, there is a growing list of presentations that were done for legislators, their staff and other organizations.

During this period of open development and public testing of MyDistrictBuilder,it is a great time to learn about the MyDistrictBuilder application and several other ways Floridians can participate in the upcoming redistricting process.

GERRYMANDERING - THE MOVIE

Friday, March 18 · 6:00pm - 9:00pm
All Saints Cinema, Railroad Avenue, Amtrak Station, Tallahassee
Another showing on Sunday, March 20th at 5 PM. 

Sponsored by the Tallahassee Film Society, a very timely movie about how voting districts are drawn and redrawn to benefit special interests.

Gerrymandering is a practice of political corruption that attempts to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan, incumbent-protected, and neutral districts. The resulting district is known as a gerrymander; however, that word can also refer to the process.

The following organizations are working actively on redistricting reform:

Americans for Redistricting Reform Brennan Center for Justice California Forward Campaign Legal Center

Common Cause Council for Excellence in Government Fair Elections Arizona 

Fair Districts Florida

Fair Vote Leadership Conference on Civil Rights League of Women Voters  

Map 150

Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund NAACP Legal Defense Fund National Association of Latino Elected Officials Public Interest Research Group Reform Institute

Americans for Redistricting Reform | Brennan Center for Justice |  

California Forward | Campaign Legal Center | Common Cause | 

Council for Excellence in Government | Fair Elections Arizona |  

Fair Districts Florida | Fair Vote | Leadership Conference on Civil Rights | League of Women Voters | Map 150 | Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund | NAACP Legal Defense Fund |  

National Association of Latino Elected Officials | Public Interest Research Group | Reform Institute | Voices of Reform

DATA FOR IMPLEMENTING FAIR DISTRICTS COMING IN

According to today's Miami Herald's blog, The federal government sent Governor Scott and other state leaders a letter today informing Florida that the "2010 Census Block Assignment Files" are now available.

All the data has yet to be provided. But it is now coming in. Text of letter is available here.

That data is crucial for redistricting, the once-a-decade process of redrawing political boundaries to ensure that politicians represent roughly the same number of constituents.

Read the full post here

WHO IS FUNDING OPPOSITION TO FAIR DISTRICTS?

Who is funding the opposition to the Fair Districts amendment that voters approved?

The Florida Leadership Alliance is run by state Sen. Don Gaetz. Citizens
for Housing and Urban Growth is controlled by a cluster of legislators,
including Sen. Mike Bennett of Bradenton and state Rep. Ron Reagan of
Sarasota.

Include investigative reporters in your list of "Thanks" this Thursday.

Here's the link to the article, Games the pols play:
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/games-the-pols-play/1135283