BARBARA DOMER: Valparaiso City Council District 3

My full statement read at Valparaiso City Council meeting on August 11, 2025:

I am a resident of Congressional District 1, and I gather most folks here this evening also reside in Congressional District 1.

The process of federal congressional redistricting is a foundational pillar of representative democracy, affecting the composition of legislatures and the voice of constituents across the state;

The decennial census conducted by the United States Census Bureau is the constitutionally mandated method for determining population counts, upon which fair and equitable redistricting is based;

Mid-census redistricting, prior to the completion and certification of updated population data, risks undermining the accuracy, fairness, and legitimacy of the district maps which guide federal representation;

The calling of a special session of the legislature for the purpose of redistricting before the census is concluded runs counter to best practices, introduces unnecessary confusion, and will erode public confidence in the redistricting process;

The Indiana state legislature has established clear norms for timing redistricting with the release of census data;

Mid-census redistricting, before census completion, can result in districts that are either over- or under-populated, violating the “one person, one vote” principle enshrined in federal law;

Indiana passed a state budget slashing municipal property tax revenue, the effects which are yet to be calculated in Valparaiso;

Indiana passed a state budget which cuts programs for seniors, Hoosiers with disabilities and our most vulnerable citizens;

Indiana cannot afford to allocate funding to draw new maps if we cannot afford to fully fund services which help Hoosiers in need;

I am a concerned Congressional District 1 resident who believes mid-census redistricting serves no purpose other than to redraw federal congressional districts for political gain.

I urge Governor Braun to decline calling a special session for federal congressional redistricting.

Governor Braun sums the motive up, as quoted in an Indianapolis Capital Chronicle article: