Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Bid launched to bring independence to Nevada political mapmaking – in 2023

Nevada congressional districts

Currently, two of Nevada's four congressional districts are routinely competitive between Republicans and Democrats.

mapchart.net

A long quest has formally begun to add battleground Nevada to the roster of states where the election districts are drawn by non-politicians.

Advocates for ending partisan gerrymandering nationwide filed a proposed state constitutional amendment on Monday with officials in Carson City. It would create an independent commission to draw both state legislative and congressional districts — with a mandate they be geographically compact, give minorities a fair shot at representation and be as "politically competitive" between the major parties as possible.

The earliest that could happen is four years from now, however. That's because, even if advocates gather the necessary 98,000 signatures by June to put the measure on next November's ballot, and even if it succeeds then, a second statewide vote reaffirming the first one is required in 2022 before the new panel could get to work.


As a result, the four U.S. House districts and all the state legislative districts will next be refashioned by the state Legislature. It looks highly likely to remain solidly Democratic after the 2020 election and the release of new census data, and Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak will be in the middle of his term.

Fourteen states currently use independent commissions for drawing state legislative lines and nine states are on course to use such panels for the next congressional redistricting. The drive for more such bodies has gained steam since the Supreme Court ruled in June that partisan gerrymandering disputes were outside the purview of federal courts

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

Nevada's current maps were imposed by a panel of judges in 2011 because a politically divided state government couldn't reach agreement. The result is that two of the four congressional districts are routinely competitive between Republicans and Democrats, as are a decent number of the 21 state Senate and 42 state House seats.

In large measure because of its rapidly growing Latino population, the state has been trending blue in recent years, and 2016 marked the first time in four decades when the presidential winner failed to carry the state. But Republicans still make very close contests out of most statewide elections.

The Nevada proposal, with includes strict rules to keep people with ties to partisan politics off the commission, is a coordinated effort among the League of Women Voters of Nevada, the progressive Brennan Center for Justice and RepresentUs, which bills itself the nation's biggest grassroots democracy reform group.

Read More

Ed Martin’s Plan to Shame Trump's Enemies Threatens the Rule of Law

The Department of Justice logo is displayed.

Getty Images, Andrew Harnik

Ed Martin’s Plan to Shame Trump's Enemies Threatens the Rule of Law

For a long time, scholars, commentators, and officials have debated the efficacy of shame as a form of punishment. Opinion has been divided over the efficacy and appropriateness of using it as a response to a criminal conviction.

But nowhere did anyone ever suggest that shaming someone would be an acceptable reason to prosecute them. Until now.

Keep ReadingShow less
Congress Bill Spotlight: Preventing Presidential Inaugurations on MLK Day, Like Trump’s

Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th President of the United States.

Getty Images, Pool

Congress Bill Spotlight: Preventing Presidential Inaugurations on MLK Day, Like Trump’s

The Fulcrum introduces Congress Bill Spotlight, a weekly report by Jesse Rifkin, focusing on the noteworthy legislation of the thousands introduced in Congress. Rifkin has written about Congress for years, and now he's dissecting the most interesting bills you need to know about, but that often don't get the right news coverage.

President Donald Trump falsely claimed his January 6, 2021 speech preceding the Capitol Building riot “had more people” in attendance than Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

Keep ReadingShow less
RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs

RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs

RCV Momentum, Young Voters, and Faster Runoffs - This Week’s Expand Democracy 5

Welcome to the latest edition of The Expand Democracy 5. From Rob Ritchie, with Eveline Dowling’s help, we explore five ways democracy is evolving—locally, nationally, and globally. Today's stories include:

🌟 Future of RCV is Bright - Energy & trends favor voter choice

Keep ReadingShow less
Just the Facts: Trump Administration Pauses International Student Visas
woman wearing blue denim jacket holding book

Just the Facts: Trump Administration Pauses International Student Visas

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, we remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.

Has the Trump administration put a hold on issuing student visas for this coming fall?

The Trump administration has paused new student visa interviews as part of an effort to expand social media screening for applicants. The State Department has instructed U.S. embassies and consulates to stop scheduling new student and exchange visitor visa appointments until further guidance is issued. However, previously scheduled interviews will still proceed.

Keep ReadingShow less