January 20,2002

Washington, D.C.-Just in case you've missed it, I'd like to fill you in on Oklahoma's latest hot political topic. There's been a lot of talk about our state's congressional district lines and what they will look like for the next decade. Ideas have been thrown around, and maps have been drawn and redrawn. In the past six months, I've seen more map lines than Rand and McNally combined. But everyone involved in the process needs to keep in mind the most important factor in drawing new lines - Oklahoma voters. If we do that, than all the other factors will fall into place, and a map that meets the needs of the most Oklahomans will result. The map that Governor Keating proposed last week, with the support of the Republican members of the Oklahoma delegation, meets these goals, and should be given strong consideration by the state legislature when they take up the issue in the coming weeks.

The original issue of redistricting evolved from Oklahoma's lack of population gain. Every ten years, state legislatures redraw congressional district lines in order to adjust them for population shifts. That way, each member of Congress continues to represent the same number of people and each state has the correct proportion of members. But Oklahoma's redistricting issue is unique in that our state will be losing a member of Congress. Unfortunately, since our population gain was slower than other states over the last decade, our proportion of members of Congress will go from six to five. We in western Oklahoma know that we've lost significant numbers in our rural areas, so we can expect to have an expanded district in order to pick up enough constituents to equal the other districts.

Some have worried that the new plan will allow for gerrymandering, or drawing unusually shaped districts in order to fit political plans. If you look at the governor's plan, it provides for much cleaner, more naturally shaped districts than many other plans brought forth. It's even more naturally shaped than the current congressional district lines.

We could draw maps until our fingers bleed and not come up with a singular map that meets every one of each interested party's concerns. I myself have some reservations with the governor's plan, since it takes away roughly 40 percent of my district in Oklahoma county. These are good constituents who have voted for me and that I have enjoyed representing over the years. I don't want to lose them, but I know that in order to put forth a plan that meets the most needs, we will all have to make sacrifices.

The governor's plan also has a lot to offer folks in both rural and urban areas. The potential new third district, taking up most of my old sixth district, is a district of rural voters with similar interests. A district like this will ensure for the next ten years that rural concerns will be addressed in Congress, by whoever has the high honor of representing it! And the governor's plan creates two substantially urban districts and three substantially rural districts, which will allow the Oklahoma congressional delegation to reflect the urban/rural mix of the state. Constituents in urban areas agree that their needs would be best met if their member of Congress represented them and them alone.

Of course the most often discussed problem the map fixes is allowing all the incumbent members of Congress to run for re-election. Congressman Wes Watkins of the third district recently decided to resign so that lines could be drawn that maintain Oklahoma's seniority for the four remaining members. In Washington, seniority gets things done. It gets legislation moved and it gets projects funded. I've learned that firsthand this year, as I took on the position of subcommittee chairman for the Agriculture Committee. Whatever the political party, it's the more senior members of Congress who have the authority to bring back to Oklahoma our fair share of federal dollars.

This plan puts the authority back where it belongs on who decides whether incumbents keep their jobs. Oklahoma voters will decide at the ballot box if they approve of the work their incumbent is doing in Washington. To force them to do otherwise is unfair to them, and to Oklahoma's future.

This issue is far from over, but I hope that the state legislature gives a fair and impartial consideration of the governor's plan. It meets the most needs of the most Oklahomans, which is what congressional districts, and members of Congress, should do.

For a map of the proposed new congressional district lines, go to http://www.governor.state.ok.us/11402map.jpg.