{"id":13175,"date":"2023-05-15T11:30:15","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T11:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lawyersforcivilrights.org\/?p=13175"},"modified":"2023-05-15T11:30:32","modified_gmt":"2023-05-15T11:30:32","slug":"community-inclusion-critical-for-boston-redistricting-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawyersforcivilrights.org\/our-impact\/voting-rights\/community-inclusion-critical-for-boston-redistricting-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Inclusion Critical for Boston Redistricting Map"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Community Groups Urge Transparency, Public Participation, and Swift Action in Boston Redistricting <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A broad coalition of community groups who have uplifted the voices of diverse communities in Boston\u2019s redistricting process today called upon the City to act transparently and expeditiously to adopt a new City Council district map following a recent federal court ruling.\u00a0\u00a0The Coalition, represented by Lawyers for Civil Rights (\u201cLCR\u201d), includes: the\u00a0NAACP Boston Branch<\/strong>,\u00a0MassVOTE<\/strong>, the\u00a0Massachusetts Voter Table<\/strong>, the\u00a0Chinese Progressive Association<\/strong>,\u00a0La Colaborativa<\/strong>, the\u00a0Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (“MIRA”) Coalition<\/strong>, and\u00a0New England United for Justice\u00a0<\/strong>(together, the \u201cCoalition\u201d).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 9, 2023, the Federal District Court in Massachusetts barred<\/a> the Boston City Council from implementing the City Council district map passed in November of last year.  Although City officials enacted that map following an extensive public process, local political insiders disgruntled with the result bankrolled<\/a> litigation to invalidate it.  The Court held, based on the record before it, that the City Councilors had, in good faith, allowed considerations of equal voting rights for people of color to play too prominent a role in discussions.  It then tasked the City Council with passing a new map, stating that the \u201cball is back in the City Council\u2019s court.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, the City Council need not start its redistricting process from scratch.<\/strong>  The Court focused its attention on a few precincts that shifted between Districts 3 and 4.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guiding Principles Going Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given that the Court has passed the ball back to the City Council, the focus should now be on addressing the one issue raised by the Court that involved a handful of precincts.  All stakeholders should now allow the democratic process to play out.  That includes the current parties to the litigation and their funders who may be engaging in settlement discussions to draw a new map, and the mayor\u2019s office who we understand is preparing a map proposal.  Any new map must go through the public vetting process.  Backroom deals to draw maps are inappropriate and illegal.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coalition thus calls upon the City Council to adopt the following guiding principles:<\/p>\n\n\n\n