Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Money
  • Election 2020
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Money
    Election 2020
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

Special master hears pleas on congressional districts

  • by Mark Pazniokas
  • January 9, 2012
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Republicans pushed Monday for a court-appointed special master, Nathaniel Persily, to tear up Connecticut’s congressional map, calling it a gerrymander drawn 10 years ago to accommodate two incumbents forced to compete for one seat.

In the only public hearing before Persily recommends new districts to the state Supreme Court on Jan. 27, Democrats and Republicans continued to clash over how to draw a map that could swing an open 5th Congressional District seat in 2012.

Nathaniel Persily

Nathaniel Persily

The court seems inclined toward treading lightly on what the justices view as “quintessentially a legislative function” — one the justices are forced to address in light of a deadlocked legislative Reapportionment Commission.

The justices have instructed Persily, who has advised other states in similar situations, to modify the existing plan “only to the extent reasonably required” to comply with legal requirements. On Monday, Persiliy gave no inkling of his thinking, nor did he respond to claims or arguments in the one-hour, 50-minute hearing.

Democratic CD map

Democratic map maintains irregular border of 5th (light blue) and 1st (dark purple.)

New GOP map

New GOP map: the 1st (purple) juts into 5th (light blue.)

“I will not be talking all that much. I am here to listen,” Persily said at the outset.

He kept his word. Instructed by the justices to communicate only with them, Persily recoiled before the hearing when a reporter tried to introduce himself.

Testimony Monday was heavily in support of preserving the status quo, with only two GOP commission members, their lawyer and their consultant urging Persily to wholly remake a map that has yielded no Republican victories since 2008.

With an eye towards a district friendlier to Republicans, the GOP urged Persily to undo changes made in 2001 after the loss of a U.S. House seat left two incumbents, Democrat James Maloney and Republican Nancy Johnson, in the 5th District.

Rep. Arthur O’Neill, R-Southbury, said the 2001 Reapportionment Commission disregarded nearly all standard redistricting criteria and focused on creating a 5th that was “reasonable and fair” for Maloney and Johnson, not the state.

“I hope that you will consider the very peculiar history,” said O’Neill, the only legislator to serve on both the 2001 and 2011 Reapportionment Commissions.

“The 1st and 5th Districts are bizarrely shaped,” said Ross Garber, the lawyer representing Republicans on the Reapportionment Commission.

“It looks like someone spilled milk on a coffee table,” said House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, the co-chairman of the commission.

Apparently encouraged by the court’s instructions to Persily, no Democrat on the bipartisan commission testified, leaving representation to their lawyer, Aaron Bayer, a former deputy attorney general.

“I’m kind of stunned to hear representatives of the Republican Party run away from the redistricting process in 2001,” Bayer said.

In 2002 and 2004, the existing districts yielded a 3-2 Republican advantage in the five-member U.S. House delegation. Bayer said Connecticut is one of the few states where 60 percent of its districts have been competitive in the past decade.

The 2001 map was the product of a bipartisan political compromise, exactly the process envisioned in the state Constitution, Bayer said. It has no legal defects, so the court is correct in calling for minimal changes, he said.

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Pazniokas

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Sunday in Hartford: Massive show of police, not protesters
by Mark Pazniokas and Dave Altimari

Reporters outnumbered protesters. Cops outnumbered everyone. Sunday at the Connecticut Capitol was peaceful and well-documented.

‘No one took us seriously:’ Black cops warned about racist Capitol Police officers for years
by Joshua Kaplan and Joaquin Sapien | ProPublica

While many officers were filmed fighting off Capitol rioters, at least 12 others are under investigation for possibly assisting them.

Donald Trump built a national debt so big (even before the pandemic) that it’ll weigh down the economy for years
by Allan Sloan and Cezary Podkul | ProPublica

The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during President Trump’s time in office.

For some transgender people, pandemic paves path to transition
by Carol Leonetti Dannhauser | C-HIT.ORG

The COVID-19 pandemic has given many transgender individuals the incentive to begin gender-affirming hormone therapy.

The struggle for racial justice and equality is far from over
by Marilyn Moore

On the eve of the annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, I and many others are reflecting on what recently transpired at the U. S. Capitol and how it relates to the injustices that Dr. King and so many others fought to change so many years ago. It is obvious that our nation's fight for racial justice and equality is far from over. In fact, it continues to this day.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion The struggle for racial justice and equality is far from over
by Marilyn Moore

On the eve of the annual celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, I and many others are reflecting on what recently transpired at the U. S. Capitol and how it relates to the injustices that Dr. King and so many others fought to change so many years ago. It is obvious that our nation's fight for racial justice and equality is far from over. In fact, it continues to this day.

Opinion The mentoring circle: Supportive relationships across generations
by Josiah H. Brown

January is Mentoring Month, January 17 International Mentoring Day — with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a day of service. 

Opinion Evidence not clear that Trump incited Capitol destruction
by Alan Calandro

Defending President Donald Trump is not popular and I have no interest in writing this other than adherence to truth. Recognizing the truth (if we can find it, which is not always possible of course) should make us be able to come together around that and move on with a common understanding.

Opinion Securing our nuclear legacy: An open letter to President-elect Joe Biden
by Erik Assadourian

Dear President-elect Biden: As you noted in a tweet shortly after protestors stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, “Today is a reminder, a painful one, that democracy is fragile.” Indeed it is. And so are nation-states.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO