(Indianapolis) Last night, the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council passed new district maps despite calls from voter advocates and several of its own members for more opportunities for public comment before taking a vote. Common Cause Indiana Executive Director Julia Vaughn issued the following statement.

“We are disappointed but not surprised that the leadership of the City County Council needlessly rushed redistricting and voted on new districts without allowing enough time for public input. Despite their promises for a new and better process in 2022, redistricting in Marion County continues to be controlled by one party and happens behind closed doors with little consideration for how communities are impacted.”

“The one bright spot at the Council meeting last night happened before the vote on redistricting was taken. Councilor Ethan Evans, who recently left the Democratic Party to become the only Independent Council member, introduced Proposal 182, which would create a bipartisan commission to conduct redistricting in the future. Common Cause Indiana will work with Councilor Evans and others to pass redistricting reform at the local level to ensure that a decade from now, we have a redistricting process that prioritizes people and communities, not partisanship.”