UPDATE and Request -

send 2 emails for SJR9

Fair Districts Partners and Friends:

We are gaining support in the Senate for SJR9 - Independent Redistricting Commission. As of today, we have recruited six sponsors for SJR9. They are:

Sen. Natalie Figueroa

Sen. Leo Jaramillo

Sen. Michael Padilla

Sen. Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez

Sen. Liz Stefanics

Rep. Kathleen Cates

What a powerhouse!

We must grow this list to convince the legislative leadership that we the people are serious about an Independent Redistricting Commission for New Mexico. Here is our request:

Please contact your senator and your representative today and ask them to sign on as co-sponsors of SJR9. All it takes is a phone call (to their secretary) or email to each. For help identifying your senator & representative go here.

Things you might say:

"I am your constituent and I believe it's time we re-enfranchise New Mexico voters by creating an Independent Redistricting Commission. Will you please join our effort and the six co-sponsors by signing up to co-sponsor SJR9 today?"

-or-

"I am your constituent and I believe it's time to fix oour flawed democracy by creating an Independent Redistricting Commission. Will you please join our effort and the six co-sponsors by signing up to co-sponsor SJR9 today?"

Two important features of SJR9:

- Congressional redistricting remains the responsibility of the Legislature.

- SJR9 is just 3 pages long, requiring enabling legislation.

Here is a link again to SJR9: Legislation - New Mexico Legislature

Thank you. We so appreciate you!

Dick Mason, Hannah Burling, and Kathleen Burke

Fair Districts for New Mexico Team

_________________________________

Why an Independent Redistricting Commission? Click on these articles to see the latest.

"What Senate Joint Resolution 9 Will Do" - by Dick Mason

"A Flawed Democracy and How New Mexicans Can Help Fix It" - by Dick Mason

"Re-enfranchisement of New Mexico Voters

via an Independent Redistricting Commission" - by Kathleen Burke

We have taken feedback from numerous legislators and responded to their input. Here's what has changed:

Many legislators expressed concern over having the IRC determine Congressional districts, so we have left that to the Legislature. Under SJR9 the Independent Redistricting Commission will only determine the districts for the state legislative offices and other state offices that require redistricting.

Secondly, because the details of creating an independent commission are lengthy and highly detailed, we were asked to remove the bulk of details from the resolution and instead place them in enabling legislation. We have done that.

Have one extra minute?

Please call Senate Rules Chair Katy Duhigg's secretary to leave your message for the Chair. Simply say:

"Please grant a hearing for SJR9 for an Independent Redistricting Commission in

Senate Rules"

Katy Duhigg, chair of Senate Rules

505/986-4270

Please call the Senate Rules chair above

ask for a hearing for SJR9, the redistricting resolution.

Hear about SJR9 on KHFM's Morning Edition with Nash Jones and Fair Districts' Kathleen Burke, or hear the recording from Tuesday evening's All Things Considered.

Just click the headphones

Fair Districts for New Mexico and our partners:

Adelante Progressive Caucus; American Association of University Women (AAUW), New Mexico; American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of New Mexico; Braver Angels North-Central New Mexico Alliance; Brennan Center for Justice; Campaign Legal Center; Central New Mexico Democrats; Democratic Party of New Mexico Rural Caucus; Common Cause New Mexico; Election Reformers Network; Fair Albuquerque Redistricting; Fair Vote NM; Green Party of Albuquerque Metro Area; Green Party of New Mexico; Indivisible Albuquerque; Indivisible Las Cruces; Indivisible Rio Grande; Indivisible Sandoval County; Indivisible Santa Fe; Indivisible SOS Santa Fe; International District Healthy Communities Coalition (IDHCC); League of Women Voters of New Mexico; League of Women Voter U.S.; Lutheran Advocacy Ministries - New Mexico; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Doña Ana County; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Santa Fe Branch 6109-B; Native American Democratic Caucus of New Mexico; New Mexico America Votes; New Mexico Black Voters Collaborative; New Mexico Chamber of Commerce; New Mexico Democratic Black Caucus; New Mexico Ethics Watch; New Mexico First; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG); New Mexico Open Elections; Princeton Gerrymandering Project; Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Central New Mexico; Reboot Our Democracy; Republican National Hispanic Assembly of New Mexico; Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce; Vecinos United; Veterans and Military Families Caucus-DPNM