League Forum on Immigration April 16

The League of Women Voters of Rhode Island Educational Forum

Title:  Defining Our Community:  A Forum on Immigration and the U.S. Census.

Date:  Monday, April 16, 2018

Place:  Community College of RI (CCRI) Newport Campus, One John H. Chafee Blvd.

Time:  6:00 – 7:00 P.M.

Panelists:

Steven Brown, Executive Director, RI ACLU

John Marion, Executive Director, Common Cause RI

Susan Taylor, Immigration lawyer

There will be Q&A at the end of the program. 

Contact: 

Jane W. Koster

LWVRI

401 339 2351

Summary:

The issue of immigrants is a broad and complicated national issue, but one that also directly affects each and every on of us in Rhode Island.

Our panelists will speak on this overall theme and discuss recent developments - the Trump Administration’s plans to ask about citizenship on the 2020 Census, the debate over so-called sanctuary cities, the fate of Dreamers under President Trump’s repeal of the DACA program, the controversy over drivers’ licenses for undocumented immigrants and other related public policy issues.  

Many think of the Census as only involving redistricting at the congressional, state and local level.  It is also critically important in the distribution of funding to Rhode Island and localities for federal assistance programs in the amount of over $3 billion.  Meanwhile, the national debates over sanctuary cities, DACA and other immigration issues resonate strongly in Rhode Island, a state with large immigrant communities.

Join us.  Be informed.  Bring your voice and questions.

League-Common Cause meeting on Redistricting

We heard two able speakers at our our jointly sponsored meeting on redistricting November 3.  Ryan Taylor, staff to the Reapportionment Commission, discussed the fact that while RI did only gained about 4,400 people since the last census, our population concentrations shifted, which means that we will have to change district lines.   The shift away from the coast may be partly due to the rise in real estate prices there, children growing up and being unable to continue to live in those communities.  Also, while ten years ago the coastal homes were largely owned by Rhode Islanders, now they are owned by people whose main residences are out of state.  Ryan wants to talk with people from all around the state to find out what about the current districts has worked well, and what has not.  He generously offered to make appointments to show anyone who wants to try drawing new districts how to do it.  Anyone wishing to contact him or to see the dates and times of upcoming meetings at the state house and in each county to show residents the new preliminary plans, should check the web site at www.riredistricting.com.  Times and dates will be changed with little notice due to the pension discussions going on at the State House.  The old schedule may no longer be valid. 

 

John Marion, director of Common Cause, talked about how Rhode Island’s redistricting requirements and process are different than those in other states.  The Department of Justice, under the current administration, has mandated that state office districts should have no more than 5% variation in population.  Rhode Island is trying for 2%.  US Congressional districts are required to have no more than 1% variation in population.  Members of the US Congress are not required to live in their districts.  Only ten states mandate that electoral districts have competition as a goal.  Rhode Island is not one of them.  Two states, Arizona and California, tried have non-partisan redistricting commissions this year, in an effort to remove partisan bias.  Arizona’s governor did not like the results of the process, which did not favor her party, and has removed the head of the commission.  Suits are raging there.  California’s commission created sixty newly competitive districts, and those results appear to be standing so far.  Since Rhode Island does not allow initiative and referendum, John said the only way to make our redistricting commissions more competitive would be at a constitutional convention.  There may be one on the ballot in 2014.

 

John mentioned that the following website will allow you to play with redistricting.  However, unlike the software used by the RI consultants, which is too enormous to use on home computers, the downloadable version does not have political boundaries drawn on it, so you would have to draw them in yourself.    http://gardow.com/davebradlee/redistricting/launchapp.html

 

 

PRELIMINARY PLANS are to be given to the Commission November 16 at 6:00 pm.  Check the schedule before leaving for the meeting, as all times and dates are subject to change due to the Pension hearings going on at the State House.

Nov 3 Redistricting in Rhode Island: a Forum

Thursday, November 3rd, 7 PM,
First Unitarian Church, 1 Benevolent Street, Providence

co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and Common Cause RI.

All states must redraw their electoral districts according to shifts in population after the U. S. Census is completed every 10 years.  The 2010 census showed a gain of 7,263 people in Rhode Island Congressional District 2.  Half that number will have to be reapportioned to District 1. Additionally, most of the communities in the southern part of the state have lost population. How will districts be redrawn to make them more equal? What does this mean for you and your neighborhood? 

Ryan Taylor, the redistricting consultant’s chief staff person in RI, will give an overview of what has, and is expected, to happen as RI redraws its electoral districts. John Marion, Director of Common Cause RI will discuss the politics of redistricting and possibilities for reform. There will be plenty of time for questions, answers, and discussion.

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.

Common Cause RI promotes representative democracy by ensuring open, ethical, accountable, effective government processes at local, state and national levels, and by educating and mobilizing the citizens of RI.

This program is free and open to the public. The church is fully handicapped accessible.

For more information, please contact Joanne DeVoe, joanned@qis.net, 401-247-3004.