| In a little over a year, Oklahoma will take part in the 2020 census. With that comes the duty to adjust the districts of our legislature, so that every resident has equal representation. But Oklahoma sorely needs to go further and coordinate the two chambers of our legislature to a coherent system of districts that the common man can comprehend and identify with. Oklahoma has 101 Representatives in the lower house. That number is arbitrary. It has been larger and smaller, at times in our state history. The Senate has 48 members. Just a couple decades ago that number was a good bit larger. Here are 2 simple reforms which will help to citizens to better connect with their state legislature.
|  It's time to group two state House seats into each state senate district. |
There are going to be various arguments against change, but the constitution mandates at least some change every 10 years. What is not acceptable, nor should be, is a redistricting which caters solely to the convenience of the incumbent legislators. Yet that is the biggest obstruction to real reforms which put the people first. My state senator serves a district that includes parts of 7 separate House seats. His constituents should live in only a maximum of 2.
Why should a resident have to remember nearly a dozen different district numbers in order to petition his government for a real need? If I live in district 1(congressional), 2(city council), 3(county commission), 5(judicial), 7(school board), 71(House) & 35(Senate); can't we at least coordinate those last 2 districts so they are Senate 35, & House 35B ?
Other states have adopted these reforms several decades ago and have stayed constant to the binding of House & Senate districts. Minnesota is able to use the coordinated districts for many other purposes, including the organizing of both Republican & Democrat party organizations.
On A Side Note:
In states which have adopted the above reforms, political conventions also no longer organize by county. Instead, they have several equally-sized and manageable district conventions which focus on those 3 legislative seats. The parties focus on winning those 3 elections and do fundraising specifically to win and retain those seats.
Political parties in Minnesota, Wisconsin & other states have loved the switch from county conventions to district conventions, because the size becomes uniform and easy for party volunteers to manage.
Why should a resident have to remember nearly a dozen different district numbers in order to petition his government for a real need? If I live in district 1(congressional), 2(city council), 3(county commission), 5(judicial), 7(school board), 71(House) & 35(Senate); can't we at least coordinate those last 2 districts so they are Senate 35, & House 35B ?
Other states have adopted these reforms several decades ago and have stayed constant to the binding of House & Senate districts. Minnesota is able to use the coordinated districts for many other purposes, including the organizing of both Republican & Democrat party organizations.
On A Side Note:
In states which have adopted the above reforms, political conventions also no longer organize by county. Instead, they have several equally-sized and manageable district conventions which focus on those 3 legislative seats. The parties focus on winning those 3 elections and do fundraising specifically to win and retain those seats.
Political parties in Minnesota, Wisconsin & other states have loved the switch from county conventions to district conventions, because the size becomes uniform and easy for party volunteers to manage.
