The Unity Group of Chattanooga is issuing this synopsis in order to inform the community on what is one of the most pivotal aspects of our electoral and voting processes, Redistricting. According to the Tennessee Comptroller, Redistricting “refers to the delineation of boundaries for political units, such as state legislative and county commission districts.” It is paramount that the redistricting process remains above the fray by being solely based on fairness and equity. Tennessee’s “in the back room” closed door approach to redistricting endangers this process because it lacks transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and public scrutiny.
The National Conference of State Legislatures asserts that Tennessee has no provisions for public map submissions; public comments and testimony; public hearings and access; public notice; or citizen initiated review. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project review of Tennessee closely mirrors these findings by detailing that Tennessee law does not require public hearings, noting that in 2012 no such hearings took place. However, they do indicate that Lieutenant Governor Ramsey invited the public to submit their own maps using publicly available data.
Other groups are sounding the alarm about the dangers of lack of citizen participation in Redistricting as well. A new Gerrymandering Threat Index developed by RepresentUs is warning that, "35 states have an extreme or high threat of having their election districts rigged for the next decade." They go on to state that, "the redistricting laws in these states provide little protection against politicians manipulating district maps for partisan or personal gain. Unless these systems change in the next few months, more than 188 million people will live with the threat of gerrymandering and rigged maps for the next 10 years." Categorically, Tennessee was designated as a high risk in four of the five redistricting threats measured for each state.
Many of the concerns being raised over public participation in Redistricting could have been addressed by SBOOO3, the Fair Maps Act. There were numerous provisions about public awareness, planning, process and participation in the Act. Unfortunately, it failed to make it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
It was only on last week that the State Comptroller released a citizen’s guide for the Redistricting process. Not only is this guide untimely, but it alludes to other questions that need to be addressed, such as: (1) What are the qualifications of individuals serving on the redistricting committee? (2) What data will be used for mapping? (3) What third-parties will be used for mapping and what are their background? (4) What is the demographic make-up of the redistricting committee and third-party vendors? (5) What will be the level of citizen participation allowed in these processes? (6)Will prison populations be counted in their county of residence or at the prison where they are momentarily housed? (7) Will the current redistricting process be able to pass the strict-scrutiny test laid out in Thornburg v. Gingles?
The Unity Group is greatly disturbed over the lack of meaningful action in ensuring that a fair and effective redistricting process is laid out at the State and local level. We agree with RepresentUs, this State, and by virtue the local municipalities, are at an extreme risk of gerrymandering because of the aforementioned concerns we have cited. We must also note that in a year that the Census has faced extraordinary challenges, but was still shortened, one can reasonably conclude that there is a tremendous undercount in marginalized and disadvantaged communities. Full compliance with federal statutes and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are endangered not only because of cracking, packing and stacking, but also because gentrification has been a contributing factor of minority vote dilution, and this must be legally reconciled in the future. Finally, the citizens and taxpayers are due plain and basic transparency. In a more progressive world, an Independent Redistricting Commission would be set into place in order to ensure a fair and impartial process. We also urge swift passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act which would greatly serve to curb malicious acts of voter suppression and disenfranchisement. Nevertheless, in the process that we have, full public trust, confidence and participation is essential, and it is our hope that the public officials who are charged with oversight of Redistricting will begin to implement those measures of equity and fairness.
Unity Group of Chattanooga
Sherman E. Matthews, Jr. Chairman
Eric Atkins, Corresponding Secretary
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The Unity Group of Chattanooga is clearly concerned about Tennessee's process for redistricting. In reading its letter to The Chattanoogan.com I was deeply moved - by the Unity Group's rank hypocrisy. Not only did the public have input into redistricting when it elected a Republican state legislature, I don't remember the Unity Group or anybody else being so concerned about public input into redistricting during the century or more after 1889, when Democrats were in control of the process.
In 1889 the Tennessee General Assembly passed four acts of self-described electoral reform that resulted in the disfranchisement of a significant portion of African American voters as well as many poor white voters. The timing of the legislation resulted from a unique opportunity seized by the Democratic Party to bring an end to what one historian described as the most “consistently competitive political system in the South.” (1)
In the political campaign of 1888, the Democrats waged a battle unparalleled in corruption and violence to gain quorum control over both houses of the legislature. With Republicans unable to stall or defeat antiparty measures, the disfranchising acts sailed through the 1889 general assembly, and Governor Robert L. Taylor signed them into law. Hailed by newspaper editors as the end of black voting, the laws worked as expected, and African American voting declined precipitously in rural and small town Tennessee. Many urban blacks continued to vote until so-called progressive reforms eliminated their political power in the early twentieth century.
It's funny how all this talk of redistricting reform only came up after Republicans took control of so many state legislatures - including Tennessee's. There was no Unity Group of Chattanooga fretting about gerrymandering when Democrats were doing the redistricting. Please spare me your dishonest and hypocritical moral posturing, and live with the fact that the majority has spoken - unless you want to openly renounce democracy and go back to the methods of 1889.
Andy Walker
Signal Mountain
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Andy, I like what David Fowler said when his party was in the minority in the Tennessee legislature, “rule by majority is tyranny.” I wonder if he still has that view.
Are you going to participate in the redrawing process? After all you are a member of the current majority party. They will be interested in hearing your voice, you are not one of the minority party. What the Unity Group proposed is logical. Congressional meetings are based on citizens' ability to participate in the process, unless they are not members of the majority party, that is the point you make, sir.
I like what a friend of mine did at a Tennessee House Committee hearing one time. The public was not allowed to speak so he brought flash cards, about poster size, with words printed big so folks could read them. He, of course, didn’t speak, but he said it was funny when someone would say something and the rest of the legislators would turn their heads and look at his flash cards. No doubt now signage isn’t allowed in the State Capital.
I’d laugh if this weren’t so sad - a political party can’t move forward on its bedrock ideals and principles, so it forges ahead on keeping citizens from exercising their right to vote in Kafkaesque rules and procedures to ensure a “majority”. Fear is a powerful thing when most voters coming of age and registering are educated and principled enough to know lies from truth, propaganda from honesty, and hysteria from reason.
In the 2020 session the majority voted in a $60 million operational increase. That is the work of a group that claim to be conservative and Republican.
Prentice Hicks
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Mr. Matthew, Mr. Atkins and Mr. Hicks may want to take a look at the history of Gerrymandering. It’s named for Elbridge Gerry, a Democrat, who started the practice about 1812. The Democrats the have continued the practice to give them the upper hand to remain in power and control. It’s always been alright with the Democrats when they are doing it, but not when the Republicans do. The Democrats are the party of hypocrisy.
If the Unity Group really wants unity, then stop acting as if all black, brown and poor people can’t do anything for themselves. It’s just not true. Here in Chattanooga we enjoy the good works of many of our black and brown citizenry because they are intelligent and hard working, just as other citizens, regardless of skin color or ethnicity, Democrat or Republican. Perhaps if you will stop playing the role of the victim more can be encouraged and there can be better unity. Give up your agenda of Socialism as it has never worked well. Stop allowing half of the black and brown unborn children to be plucked from their mother’s womb. Nobody knows the greatness any of these babies could achieve if only given the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
If it were not for the agenda of Socialism, the Unity Group would not have a reason to exist. I believe both the Unity Group and the NAACP are now irrelevant because opportunity is out here for everyone. Conditions, thank goodness, are not like they were 60 years ago. Please stop embellishing the victimhood. You have overplayed that card. Your bullying may produce some results but working together will produce better results.
J. Pat Williams
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For many years after the politics of the state of Tennessee had become decidedly more conservative and Republican, the Democrat Party maintained control of the legislature through gerrymandering. I have no recollection of organizations such as the Unity Group of Chattanooga or any others shedding crocodile tears over gerrymandering.
Apparently, there’s nothing like being firmly ensconced as the minority party to help one find religion but take heart, in the next century you might find yourselves in the majority once again.
Fred Decosimo