On March 23, two members of the U.S. House introduced HR 4918, to require states to draw up redistricting plans for U.S. House district boundaries in a public process. The bill would require states to have an internet site to inform the public of all aspects of that state’s redistricting planning.

The bill would require that the internet site give advance notice of any meetings by state legislators or others, on the subject of redrawing the boundaries of the districts. The site would be required to include census data for that state. The site would be required to let members of the public post comments about the plan, and the comments must be posted no later than 3 days after they are made. The group handling redistricting would be required to publish its decision-making criteria. Here is a copy of the bill. The authors are John Tanner (D-Tennessee) and Michael Castle (R-Delaware).

The California Green Party has created a leaflet that asks voters to defeat Proposition 14. See it here. Proposition is on the ballot in the June 8, 2010 election. It would provide that all candidates in congressional and state elections would run on a single primary ballot in June. Afterwards, the only two candidates permitted to run would be the two individuals who got the most votes in June.

The print edition of the New York Times for March 24 has this Thomas L. Friedman column, recommending that states pass Instant Runoff Voting, and also recommending that states create nonpartisan commissions to draw congressional and legislative district boundaries.

Friedman cites the work of Larry Diamond, author of “The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World”, and coordinator of the democracy program of the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.” Diamond is a Stanford senior fellow.

Friedman says that if states used IRV, centrist moderates would have a better chance of being elected as independent or minor party candidates. Thanks to Carter Momberger for the link.