The following op-ed appeared in the Charleston Gazette-Mail today:
Now that Republicans have had their go at drawing West Virginia’s legislative districts, it’s clear that neither party should be trusted with this monumentally important task ever again.
For eight decades, Democrats got to decide how to draw these maps in the Mountain State, which affect everything from who represents each of us in the state Legislature and in Congress to how billions in federal aid is spent in our communities.
And for eight decades, Democrats drew the maps in ways that largely benefited, well, Democrats.
After Republicans retook the Legislature in 2014 and solidified their majority in subsequent elections, it was their turn this year to be in charge of the once-a-decade process of redistricting. Not exactly coming as a shock, the new maps disproportionately help Republicans hold onto seats.
Read more: Dijon Stokes: A nonpartisan way forward on redistricting (Opinion) | Op-Ed Commentaries | wvgazettemail.com