Episode 32767: Open Democracy Minute for February 21, 2022: Gerrymandered NH House, Senate maps move forward; rigged Congressional, Exec. Council delayed until March

You're listening to the Open Democracy Minute, keeping Granite State government by and for the people.   We billed last week’s report as a “reckoning” for NH Redistricting, which turned out to be only partially true.  February 14, as expected, the majority in NH Senate Election Law & Municipal Affairs committee did approve a modestly amended NH House redistricting map which denied 54 towns their own House districts, and a rigged NH Senate map proposal which locks in 15 to 16 majority seats – a veto-proof majority in a very purple state.  Then on February 16, the full NH Senate adopted both the maps, with the House maps returning to the House for a “concur” vote at the next full House session, and the NH Senate maps headed to a NH House Election Law committee which unlikely to find its moral compass. We HAD expected action on the Executive Council and Congressional maps, but the latest would indicate we won’t see any further action in the NH Senate until March.   Governor Chris Sununu has made statements that he would like both heavily gerrymandered maps changed.   Others in his party are urging the Senate Election Law & Municipal Affairs committee to make no changes and keep the rigged districts. Voters, despite hundreds testifying against the maps, have so far been ignored. As Granny D said, “Democracy is not something we HAVE, it's something we DO.”  For the Open Democracy Minute, I'm Brian Beihl.