ATLANTA –In an apparent attempt to protect incumbents, HB564 has been introduced which would redraw two state house districts: HD 104 and HD 105. Once again, politicians have met behind closed doors to draw legislative districts that favor themselves, preventing Georgia voters from seeing and participating in the process.
The Democracy Act, introduced as SR 52 and HR 369, fixes this. The Democracy Act mandates a map-drawing process that is nonpartisan, citizen-driven, and transparent. Specifically, the act
•is nonpartisan so that no political party can control the process of drawing legislative districts to their benefit;
•is citizen-driven to place democracy in the hands of Georgia’s citizens rather than politicians. It creates an independent citizens’ commission to reflect the state’s racial, ethnic, geographical, and gender diversity; and
•mandates transparency to eliminate secrecy and allow everyone to see and participate in drawing legislative districts while the process is happening.
“The Democracy Act changes the process that allows politicians to meet in secret and manipulate the boundaries of legislative districts to their own benefit,” stated Andrea Young, Executive Director of the ACLU of Georgia. “Our democracy only works when our legislators reflect the values, diversity, and priorities of the people they represent.”
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