League of Women Voters to hold forum on
Redistricting: Voting Rights & Voting Wrongs
The Asheville-Buncombe County League of Women Voters will hold a public forum on North Carolina’s decennial redistricting on Wednesday, February 22, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center at 236 Charlotte Street. Like all League-sponsored forums, this event will be nonpartisan, free, and open to the public.
The forum will be led by Dr. George Peery, emeritus professor of Political Science from Mars Hill College, and currently president of the World Affairs Council of WNC His expertise and research have focused on federalism in American politics: the relationship between the national government and the governments of the 50 states.
Peery has entitled his presentation “Constitutional Obligation in a Digital Age—Or, Are you and I still in the same district?” The new redistricting map of North Carolina, he notes, “has spawned shocked incredulity, smug sentiments of justifiable payback, outrage, support, and baffled indifference.”
Peery will review the Constitutional, historical, and legal trajectories of legislative redistricting, and highlight a number of details in the recently approved proposal for Congressional, State House, and State Senate districts in the Tar Heel state. He will discuss alternative ways of redistricting, which is required by the U.S. Constitution following the Census every 10 years.
He will also address the basic claims of the court challenges against this plan On February 6 a three-judge panel of the Superior Court in Raleigh rejected a request to throw out several lawsuits over the redistricting, which is being challenged by a number of Civil Rights and “good-government” groups. Under the ruling, the suits will go ahead, though the May 8 primary will not be delayed.
—–
The LWV of Asheville has been active in Buncombe County for more than sixty years. Its mission is to encourage citizen participation in the electoral process and in federal, state, and local government; to influence public policy through education and advocacy; and to secure public policies that promote member-based League positions. The League is a nonpartisan organization that welcomes both men and women of voting age to membership.
For more information about the LWV of Asheville and Buncombe County, visit the website at www.ablwv.org. For information about membership, contact Membership Chair Peggy Heilig at 828-258-8223 or by email at pheilig645@aol.com.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.