State legislatures could shift to Democrats

[deadparrot]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. state legislatures head into Tuesday's election almost even in terms of party control, with Democrats poised to potentially shift the power base in their favor, a change that can position them to influence future elections.

Alan Rosenthal, professor of policy and political science at Rutgers University, said he thinks Democrats are "going to wind up with control of a number of more chambers than they do now."

"It's an election in which national issues and dissatisfaction with President Bush are going to ripple down to the local level," he said.

Being in control of state legislatures can mean a lot when it comes to such things as redrawing congressional districts, something minority Democrats are now having to contend with in Tuesday's midterm elections.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061106/pl_nm/usa_elections_legislatures_dc

[central scrutinizer]

1. can you spell gerrymander?

With a census coming up it will time to do an anti-Delay and redraw the boundaries so they make some kind of sense, not so they dilute the votes of the poor and brown among us.

[krkaufman]

2. No reason to wait for the census

Delay set the precedent.

Though it will be nice, someday, to find a way to obviate gerrymandering.

[W.E.B. Du Bois]

3. Is there any way to undue the Republican gerrymandering of 2000?

I've heard that in 2000 the Republicans did a lot of gerrymandering. What official elected position control things like the boundaries of a district?

[w4rma]

4. The state legislatures and the governors, together. (nt)

[W.E.B. Du Bois]

5. Are Democrats now in a position to do this?

I am not in favor of just doing what the Republicans did back to them. We should re-draw the political boundaries to promote fair and competitive elections.

[rodeodance]

6. Wisconsin Senate turned BLUE