Redistricting Watch: NTU Endorses Tanner Legislation

Some good news for the first "Redistricting Watch" post of 2006. I got word yesterday that the 350,000-member National Taxpayers Union (which I agree with quite infrequently), has decided to back Rep. John Tanner's redistricting reform bill, H.R. 2642 (much more info on the bill in the posts listed below).

The NTU released a letter expressing their support for Tanner's measure, noting "If passed into law, this legislation would go a long way toward creating more competitive races for the United States House of Representatives."

More from the letter: "Having competitive races is important for a healthy democracy. Closer contests bring voters to the booth as they recognize their vote makes a difference. Texas, which had both competitive and non-competitive House races in 2004, provides a perfect illustration of this principle in action. In that state, the House races with winners who secured 55 percent of the vote or less had turnouts five points higher than the races that were not close.

As a taxpayer group representing Americans concerned with out-of-control spending in Washington and the ever-increasing influence of special interests, we support genuine efforts to bring accountability to the political system. ..."

Reform sometimes makes for strange bedfellows, but I know those of us who care deeply about redistricting reform are glad to have all the help we can get. I hope the NTU will help persuade Chairman Sensenbrenner to hold hearings on Tanner's bill so that we can move forward on the legislation this year. Now's the time!

Previous Redistricting Watch posts:
- "SCOTUS Grabs the Ball" (12/13/05)
- "Tanner Calls for Hearings" (11/3)
- "WaPo Weighs In" (10/24)
- "Q & A with Congressman John Tanner" (10/20)
- "Governator Goes to Ohio" (10/18)
- "Schwarzenegger Calls on McCain" (10/11)
- "Broder's Right" (9/1)
- "WaPo on Prop 77" (8/21)
- "Prop 77 Back On" (8/12)
- "Updates from the States" (8/10)
- "Updates on Several Fronts" (7/28)
- "Cosponsors Update" (7/22)
- "How Exactly do you Gerrymander a Birthday Cake?" (7/20)
- "Happy Birthday Mr. Gerry" (7/19)
- "Federal Authority in Historical Perspective" (7/16)
- "Blue Dogs, on the Scent" (7/12)
- "Cosponsors Update" (7/1)
- "Links, News, and Views" (6/24)
- "Polarization & Collegiality" (6/24)
- "Centrist Action on Redistricting Reform" (6/23)