Some people have recently asked me what's happening with the Redistricting Lawsuit. This is the case brought by 16 Minneapolis citizens, known together as Friends for Redistricting Evenly and Equitably, against the City of Minneapolis asking that the flawed 2002 redistricting map be thrown out and a new process take place in order to devise a better legal and fair map.
The legal process continues to grind along. Oral arguments in the case had been scheduled for early April but the court has delayed this until the second week of June. I believe it is possible the judge could issue a decision shortly after that--but it is also possible there will be more delays and proceedings before a final ruling is made. By overturning the proposed redistricting plan the FREE plaintiffs hope to avoid having our only two African-American councilmembers have to run against each other next year, to avoid having a fractured and gerrymandered Third Ward in which it is more difficult to elect a person of color, and to create a precedent for fair and non-partisan redistricting in the future for the City of Minneapolis. The ongoing legal system delays and processes continue to cost a great deal of money, well beyond the resources of the FREE plaintiffs. First, we would like to thank the hundreds of people who have contributed in the past. But at this point we are in great need of additional financial assistance in order to pursue this case to completion. We would like to urge anyone who cares about this issue and supports this cause to please consider a generous contribution at this time. While we need some significant contributions, any amount is helpful. Checks can be made out to "FREE" and sent to: F.R.E.E. PO Box 14745 Minneapolis, MN 55414 Thank you very much. Bruce Shoemaker Holland Neighborhood, Ward 3 FREE plaintiff REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
