Northwest Indiana always gets the scraps from the Republican supermajority. The push to redraw Indiana’s congressional maps is an extension of their mistreatment. The supermajority is willing to manipulate elections and silence our vote, all to put more Republicans in Congress.
Democrats hold two of Indiana’s nine congressional seats, one of whom is our congressman, Frank Mrvan. If Republicans successfully redistrict, that number will change to zero. They’ll manipulate our congressional maps to give themselves an advantage at the ballot box. Democratic voters will lose their electoral power as districts are cracked and packed. The boundaries of Congressional District 1 could stretch all the way from Gary to Kokomo. Rather than compact, locally focused districts, we’ll see random lines that separate and divide like-minded communities.
Diluting our electoral power isn’t the only problem redistricting poses. It’s a blatant power grab that puts partisanship above the collective needs of Indiana’s people. It’s political theater that does nothing to solve what’s happening behind the curtain.
Life does not stop for unnecessary, partisan arguments. Outside of the statehouse, people will continue to face the same hardships. Food must be put on the kitchen table, and the bills must be paid. New maps won’t solve our communities’ challenges: underfunded public schools, high health care costs, neighborhood blight, high cost of living and more. The problems we face are not red or blue — they’re crises that see no party.
Our K-12 public schools are evidence of the need for solutions, not political games. Indiana ranks 38th in the nation for spending per student, affecting the educational quality and equity. School corporations lack the resources they need to properly address current academic crises: chronic absenteeism, low literacy rates and the teacher shortage. It’s our students who bear the burden of our inadequacy. They go to class in dated buildings, use old textbooks and receive limited one-on-one instruction as class sizes inflate. Schools struggle to fill vacancies in special education, science, technology, engineering and math; and English, limiting our students’ educational opportunities. Political distractions prevent the legislature from taking true action, affecting the quality of our students’ education.
Every moment spent on political distractions is a moment we’re not strengthening our schools, lowering the cost of living or supporting our people. Indiana has real challenges to address that require compromise. Political theater, such as redistricting, only creates further division and strife. It puts spectacle above substance and creates a government that fails to serve its citizens.
Putting spectacle above substance has harmful consequences. These unnecessary arguments lead to exhaustion by putting people in a constant state of division and agitation, sapping their appetite for true civic engagement. It’s why a large number of Hoosiers are tuning out politics. Government has become an additional source of stress and anxiety, instead of a powerful tool for positive change. People are cutting out government and choosing to focus on the stressors they can control instead — finances, work and family. Political exhaustion is one of the reasons why we have the lowest voter turnout in the nation.
Public service is a blessing and a responsibility. In this time of division, I encourage us all to remember the true meaning of service. We are called to care for all of our neighbors, regardless of their beliefs. We cannot address the true challenges facing our communities if we continue to feed into division and prioritize political theater. Our question should not be whether you’re with or against me. The question should always be: How can I best serve you?
Indiana state Rep. Vernon G. Smith represents the 14th District. He was first elected to the House in 1990 and previously was on the Gary City Council. Smith serves as the ranking minority member on the House Education Committee and has been an educator for more than five decades.
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