Governor accuses Republicans of trying to Gerrymander redistricting

Democrat Governor Tom Vilsack’s accusing republican legislators of plotting to “gerrymander” new legislative districts. Legislative and congressional district lines must be redrawn every ten years to adjust for population shifts. A new map for those district lines has been released by a non-partisan agency. If plan one is rejected, it’s on to plan two. If plan two goes down, then a third plan can be drawn up by legislators. Governor Tom Vilsack says republicans want to go that far so they can draw the lines in such a way as to favor their party. Vilsack says recent comments indicate the Republicans want to get to a point where they can gerrymander districts.If Vilsack and republican legislators can’t agree on a plan, then the courts will write it. House Speaker Brent Siegrist, a republican from Council Bluffs, says Vilsack’s accusation is off base. He says the last thing he wants to do on earth is to negotiate a redistricting plan with the governor. Siegrist says Republicans can’t gerrymander, as the governor has veto power over any plan.