Chatham Rep. Robert Reives II, a Democrat, is among a bipartisan group of state legislators that filed a bill Wednesday designed to cut down on partisan gerrymandering.
House Bill 69 would establish an 11-member "Nonpartisan Redistricting Commission" with four members from each of the top two political parties with the most registered voters and three members that are not affiliated with either party.
The Commission would gather U.S. Census data and convene "21 public hearings throughout the state before submitting a proposed plan," and "provide an opportunity for racial and language minorities to participate in the public hearings."
Included in the bill are a list of redistricting standards, including restricting the commission from using registered voters' political affiliations, previous election results, demographic information other than "population head counts" and "the location of incumbents' residences," except when required by state and federal law.
The bills primary sponsors are Reives and fellow Reps. Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson), Jon Hardister (R-Guilford) and Brian Turner (D-Buncombe).
"This bill will ensure that all North Carolina voters have a voice in choosing their representatives," Reives said in a press release from Common Cause NC, a group that has long supported redistricting reform. "It will increase public confidence in our government and strengthen our democracy."
In the release, McGrady says that his fellow Republicans lobbied for redistricting reform when they were in the minority prior to 2011.
"Supporting redistricting reform was right when we were in the minority, and it's still right now," McGrady said. "We are here to serve the people of North Carolina and we must make sure they can have full confidence in the integrity and fairness of our elections."
Bob Phillips, the executive director of Common Cause NC, said in the release that HB69 is "a big step forward in respecting the rights of North Carolina citizens."