Rep. Chris Hagenow: Changes Proposed in County Supervisor Redistricting to Prevent Gerrymandering

By Rep. Chris Hagenow
The Iowa House recently passed a bill that would make changes to how county supervisor districts are drawn.

At the state level, we have a redistricting process that is non-partisan, and has been a model for several other states.  Unfortunately, our current system of drawing county supervisor districts does not follow this same fair model.

How well do you think the current law on county supervisor redistricting works in Polk County? What changes would you like to see made? Tell us in comments.

Under current Iowa law, county supervisor districts are drawn by a redistricting board, with each member appointed by an individual incumbent supervisor.

This system makes it far too easy for the redistricting board to draw new boundaries that are advantageous to the incumbent supervisors, and to protect the majority party’s hold on power.

HF 2322 proposes a new system. 

The bill preserves the initial part of the current system, but creates a mechanism for citizens to petition for a new map. If the threshold number of signatures is reached, a new map will be drawn. If a second map is successfully challenged by petition, then the state Legislative Services Agency (LSA) will draw a map for the county.

The LSA is the state agency that draws legislative maps (among a wide range of other services to the legislature).I have complete confidence in LSA, and that their work is free from partisan influence. When the LSA draws the maps, voters can rest assured that the maps will be fair to everyone.

Iowans Who Perished Aboard USS Indianapolis Honored 

On July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis, on patrol in the Pacific Ocean, was torpedoed and sunk by a Japanese submarine.

Of the 1,196 crewmen on board, 300 men went down with the ship and another 520 brave sailors died floating among the wreckage in shark-infested waters without lifeboats, food or water. Thirty-two of the fatalities were Iowans.  Only 317 of the original crew survived, three of which were Iowans.

The USS Indianapolis and its sailors were distinguished in the Pacific during World War II, earning 10 battle stars between 1942 and 1945. In March of 1945, months before the ship’s sinking, the Indianapolis withstood a kamikaze plane attack at Okinawa, which resulted in 38 casualties.

On July 26, 1945, the USS Indianapolis delivered the first operational atomic bomb to the island of Tinian. Eleven days later, a B29 bomber named Enola Gay dropped that bomb on Hiroshima to bring aswift end to WWII in the Pacific.

This past Monday, the Iowa House passed House Resolution 108 honoring the Iowans who were aboard the ship. About 75 people joined us in the House Chambers including children, grandchildren, widows and close friends of the Iowa sailors from the USS Indianapolis.

As part of the ceremony, Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Kaufmann read from Out of the Depths by David Harrell. From that book came the words of Lieutenant Adrian Marks, the Navy pilot who initially found the survivors of the Indianapolis.

“I met you forty years ago. I met you on a sparkling, sun swept afternoon of horror.  I have known you through a balmy tropic night of fear.  I will never forget you. I suppose that through the years which have so swiftly run, at least ten thousand times I have recalled some portion of the day when our fates were crossed.  But the memories which surface in my retrospection are not of horror, not of blackness, not of fear. I think of little things.  Of things as small as honor, courage and as simple honesty.  Things so small—and yet so great—that they form the cornerstone of our society.  And when I think about these little things, I am humbled by the thought that I have seen true greatness in my time.”

It was a privilege to be part of this resolution, and to be able to make this relatively small gesture honoring these great Americans, their families and friends.  Both of my grandfathers were World War II combat veterans, and I very much appreciate what “the Greatest Generation” has done for our nation.

Air National Guard Cuts
I have joined several of my colleagues in sponsoring another House Resolution to oppose the Air National Guard spending cuts that have been proposed at the federal level. Rep. Jeremy Taylor has authored a resolution urging the U.S. Congress and the president to protect Iowa’s Air National Guard.

The proposed budget cut requests the removal of 21 F-16 fighter jets from the 132nd Fighter Wing.

The 132nd has participated in numerous actions including World War II, the Korean Conflict, and many of the support functions in Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. They have also received numerous awards, including eight Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards, and have been part of exercises and deployments around the world.

Since 1941, the Iowa Air National Guard has been part of the nation’s defense and Iowa’s emergency defense system. In Iowa these cuts would result in a loss of 500 of the 132nd’s 1,000 personnel.

Gov. Terry Branstad, along with 48 other governors, is protesting the proposed spending cuts. This past Tuesday, Gov. Branstad released a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta outlining his objections to the spending cuts. His letter was signed by Major General Tim Orr, who is the adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard as well as adjutant generals from all other states.

Our congressional delegation has also been very active in trying to save the F-16s in Des Moines.  It is encouraging to see strong bi-partisan support for the 132nd.  



West Des Moines Forum
My next legislative forum will be on Saturday, March 24 from 9:30-11 at West Des Moines City Hall.  I will be joined by Rep. Peter Cownie, Sen. Pat Ward and Polk County Supervisor Bob Brownell.  This is our last scheduled forum for this legislative session.  I hope that you can join us

Contact Me
As always, I look forward to hearing your comments and ideas.  Please feel free to contact me anytime.

Representative Chris Hagenow
State Capitol
East 9th and Grand Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50319
(515) 281-3221
www.chrishagenow.com
chris.hagenow@legis.state.ia.us