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Redistricting Process Overhaul Wins Initial OK in Nebraska

Sen. John Murante
Sen. John Murante

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is one step closer to overhauling the process it uses to draw legislative and congressional districts in an effort to reduce direct political influence.

Lawmakers voted 30-5 on Monday to advance a bill that would create an independent redistricting commission to draw the maps, which lawmakers and the governor would have to approve.

Nebraska’s current process requires a legislative committee to propose new boundaries once every decade, after the census. Once the maps are drawn, they’re sent to lawmakers and eventually the governor for approval.

The system was criticized as overly partisan during the last redistricting in 2011.

Republican Sen. John Murante of Gretna and Democratic Sen. Heath Mello of Omaha worked on the proposal to try to increase public trust in the process.

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