Nebraska rated a C+ for redistricting process by national group

Nebraska earned a C+ in the Community Redistricting Report Card done by CHARGE, a coalition of organizations that advocate for fairness and representation in state and local government. The report issues grades ranging from A- to F based on the group’s assessment of transparency, impact of public input, nonpartisanship and fairness displayed in each state’s redistricting process.

Gavin Geis, director of Common Cause Nebraska, said a C+ is a fair grade for Nebraska. He said he believes Nebraska’s maps ended up pretty good, yet the redistricting process had issues with public access, transparency and politicization.

But State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of the Omaha area, who chaired the Legislature’s redistricting committee, criticized the report. She said it didn’t accurately reflect how lawmakers went about the redistricting process.

“The report does not reflect reality whatsoever,” she said.

Nebraska’s grade was based primarily on the Legislature’s control of the state’s redistricting effort. Such control often suppresses the voices of minorities, the group said in its report. However, the report said, Nebraska fared better than other states that follow similar processes due to heightened advocacy.

“Victories on several fronts to improve representation for communities of color are rare in states in which legislators draw districts, which is why most of them earned a D or F grade this cycle,” the report states. “However, Nebraska avoided that fate because of the effectiveness of fights for Black, Native American, and Latinx voting rights in several pockets of the state.”

Nebraska lawmakers completed the once-a-decade redistricting process in 2021, redrawing political maps that affected the boundaries for state and local elections. While the approved maps drew broad support from Republican state senators, the maps received mixed reviews from Democrats.

Much of the criticism was rooted in Nebraska’s push to preserve rural districts, even as many rural counties continue to drop in population. This led to accusations of the redistricting being overly partisan, because rural districts tend to favor Republican candidates in elections.

Geis said he understood the reasons behind preserving rural districts, but noted that current population trends make it likely that Nebraska will lose one or more rural districts when the state redraws the maps again in 2031.

The vice chairman of the redistricting committee, Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, a Democrat, defended the state’s process. He said it was the most transparent and public redistricting process ever in Nebraska, despite difficulties with getting information out in a timely manner.

The report disagreed, stating that lawmakers “displayed the usual disinterest in public input that is standard for politician-led redistricting processes.” The only victories in preserving representation for minority communities came after public outcry against some of the earlier proposed maps.

Besides three public hearings across the state on the proposed maps, Geis said, it was difficult to get committee members to engage with public input. He said lawmakers largely ignored suggested maps proposed by community organizations.

The Legislature’s initial proposed maps would have split communities in Grand Island and Omaha, Geis said, and it was only because of members in those communities paying close attention that this was avoided.

“Citizens’ work on this is why we had good maps,” said Geis, who contributed to the Nebraska aspect of the CHARGE report. The national Common Cause organization is one of groups involved with the coalition.

Even though the initial reports were improved, Geis said, lawmakers did not give the public an opportunity to weigh in on those revised maps — something that was needed given the amount of changes.

Linehan had a different perspective. She said she knew the initial maps proposed at the public hearings weren’t going to be what the Legislature ended up approving. They were drafted that way as a negotiation strategy, she said, knowing they would be toned down over the debate.

“In negotiations, you always lead with your perfect world,” Linehan said.

Then, after the initial maps were revised, lawmakers were under a time crunch to pass the new maps before the end of a special session, Linehan said. If the Legislature had not acted at the time, she said, the 2022 primary elections could have been delayed.

Many of the states scoring better than Nebraska have independent groups that conduct or aid the redistricting process. Geis said the proper way to redraw political districts is to do so without elected officials, who have a clear stake in the outcome.

Redistricting power won’t be something lawmakers give up willingly, Geis said, so a citizen-led ballot initiative would be the way to change Nebraska’s system. Such an initiative was attempted in 2020 but didn’t make it to the ballot — something Geis attributes to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new report suggests that Nebraskans should consider a ballot initiative to establish an independent redistricting process, or to reform the current process.

Linehan disagreed that an independent commission is the best way to conduct redistricting. She said lawmakers are best suited to determine political districts because they are elected to represent the voters in those areas, and noted that the members of an independent group would likely be appointed by politicians anyway.

“You can’t take politics out of elections,” Linehan said.

Nebraska's new congressional, legislative districts take effect Friday

Redistricting committee displays partisan divide as it adopts rules guiding process

Repeal of new Nebraska tax credits makes it onto the 2024 ballot