Last week, the N.C. House of Representatives took important votes on three redistricting maps: one for the North Carolina House, one for the North Carolina Senate and one for our congressional districts. Normally, the process would come down to a party-line vote. That is what happened just a few months ago in November, when the majority drew maps that were ultimately thrown out by the North Carolina Supreme Court for overt partisan gerrymandering.
But with an opportunity to start from scratch and draw a map that better represents our state, the N.C. House actually managed to forge a consensus. The redraw focused on counties listed in the court order that needed to be remedied; it did not include Chatham County. I worked closely with Republican Leadership to negotiate a North Carolina House map that is much fairer and stands a better chance of passing court muster. Unfortunately, the same collaborative process did not take place with our congressional maps, nor did the State Senate manage to reach a similar deal.
This process confirmed two things for me.
One is that we have the capacity and the willpower to get big, bipartisan deals done. This isn’t the first data point; last year we held multiple press conferences announcing major accomplishments like the first budget in years or the Apple announcement of its new headquarters in the Triangle. We can put aside partisan differences and get a good deal for North Carolinians.
The second is that redistricting should be delegated to an independent commission. We were able to reach a bipartisan deal on the North Carolina House map, but this only happened because the North Carolina Supreme Court struck down the original draw. I am proud of the work we did together to get this map done, but I don’t believe we should have to do it again. Last year, I introduced the Fair Maps Act, legislation that would remove the ability to draw maps from politicians and give it to an independent commission. I believe that North Carolinians will have more confidence in a process done by an entity that does not stand to benefit from redistricting. I prefer a process where voters choose their representatives, not the other way around.
I know that North Carolinians will be better served by a map that gives voters a fair chance to elect the representative of their choice. We can continue to build toward a body that values differences of opinion and isn’t afraid of the word “compromise.” Gerrymandered districts encourage a political environment that trends toward the extremes. North Carolinians want a legislature that gets things done for them on issues that matter. I am proud to continue serving Chatham and our state at the negotiating table to make sure we fight for the best possible outcome.
Rep. Robert Reives II, a resident of Goldston, represents Chatham County in the N.C. House of Representatives.
