The Times from Munster, Indiana • 56

The Indiana Home Newspaper of the Calumet Region Sunday, July 12, 1981 E-2 Redisricting: a Statewide Shuffle Indiana Loses 1 District Former Districts nsr Chicago tOUIH UNO MI5HAWAICA WKM states. That is what we should correct." Indiana Attorney General Linley Pearson, under Orr's direction, filed a suit against the U.S. Census Bureau In U.S. District Court June 5. Thaddeus Perry, deputy attorney general, said it is the state's contention the bureau arbitrarily assigned occupants to dwellings that may have been vacant.

He said the enumeration was based on neighborhood housing characteristics. He said Florida should have gained three congressional seats but the bureau may have caused Indiana to lose a seat and for Florida to gain a fourth extra seat. Perry said the federal government has until early August to respond to the suit before further action can be taken. If the state wins the suit, he said Indiana could regain its 11th seat. He said the problem with all the formulas used is how the fractions or partial seats are counted to make up the 435 seats in Congress.

He said his aim is to introduce a formula which comes closest to the one-man, one-vote principle. The bill is commonly known as the census data reform act bill although Fithian refers to it as the "Indiana Bill." It is co-sponsored by all of Indiana's 11 congressmen and two senators. Gov. Robert Orr testified at a June hearing on the reform act bill to the Postal Office and Civil Service. The bill is now being considered by the House judiciary committe.

"Our founding fathers intended the senate to most closely represent the smaller states, while the House of Representatives reflected the populations of larger states," Fithian said. "Under our census laws, both the Senate and the House favor small Indiana residents will be represented by 10 Congressman instead of 11 after the 1982 elections. The state's new redistricting map, adopted in April, is one of the first completed maps in the country. When the number of districts was reduced after the 1980 Census, the state legislature was handed the responsibility of new district lines which have become the center of controversy among Democrats. Sixteen other states are expected to remap Congressional Districts as a result of the population reapportionment indicated by the census.

Although the census indicated a 5.7 percent population increase in Indiana, the increase was marginal compared to other states. The results mean Indiana lost one Congressional seat while states with smaller populations gained representation. "The new figures show that Indiana has 10.574 percent of the Con gressional seats and New Mexico has 2.505 percent," Rep. Floyd Fithian, D-Ind, said. "Indiana's fraction is higher, yet we're losing a seat and New Mexico is gaining one.

That's simply unfair." In January, Fithian introduced legislation to save the 11th seat, accurately assuming his seat would be dropped by state politicians. He said the formula discriminates against larger states like Indiana and "gives undue representation" to low-population states like New Mexico and Montana. "If something isn't done to challenge this current formula, it is almost certain to continue its bias against Midwestern states and give an unfair advantage to small-population Sunbelt and Western states," he said. Fithian admits getting the bill into law is an uphill battle, but one that he said must be fought. UISH1U i I -yMv kui I MM.Cf jww WAYNt Ml j'" Sfej MWHWO HlSf 1 1 roitOMO Ufirtrrc Ktci'on 4 mwiw jtr imi lr 1 I i fPP -1 I mm mtm cut I io-w ftmwt to I V- hi COflMUUS 7 IIOOMIIJCKJWK mum.

l'7Tf uwt-ti I wiiim Iff I i rl 1 I ce" 1 1 UMH 1 I 1 mwAiuuyT Realignment Doesn 9t Thrill Democrats Democrats haven't reacted well to the realignment of Indiana's congressional districts. They charge the map of new congressional seats is based on politics and not population as mandated by the 1980 census. It is a charge given status by Sen. Ernest Niemeyer of Lowell, a Republican member of the legislative committee which completed the remap. "It's politics," he said.

"There is no use denying it." Partisan politics was a major, factor, he said. He said he believes if the Demo satisfy their needs," he said. Rep. Adam Benjamin, D-Ind. of Hobart, said the redistricting, although pleasing to him, Is unfair to Indiana's other Democratic congressmen, all of whom were reapportioned out of districts they serve.

Donald Michael, Democratic state chairman, calls the redistricting "robbery without a gun." The redistricting, completed by a Republican-controlled committee of state legislators, was in response to reapportionment mandated from 1980 census results. It meant the state could have 10 instead of 11 congressional seats. Among the losers was 2nd District congressman Fithian of Lafayette. His reaction to the realignment is typical of Democrats involved in the change that occurs in 1982. "The power brokers who gathered in Indianapolis played political chess according to Melchart.

He says the committee drew the lines and the GOP only provided a computer analysis. Niemeyer, however, said the committee's input was very minimal. He said the redistricting was left to Sen. Charles Bosma of Indianapolis and Rep. Richard Mangus of Lakeville, Republican chairmen of the legislative redistricting committee working with the Republican Party's central committee.

Niemeyer also said he didn't know until the "last minute" where the lines were going to be drawn. "My motivation was to run for Congress again and I kept letting it be known that I hoped there would be a district I could run in," Niemeyer said. "Fithian didn't worry me (in the 1980 race). If they would have left it (the districts) the same, I could have beat him," Niemeyer said. "I tried to tell them, don't worry about him.

I could beat him next time if they just give me more help." Niemeyer said as a result of the redistricting he won't seek a congressional seat. Instead, he said he will seek re-election as state senator in 1982. with Indiana voters, and the people of the 2nd District were used as pawns," Fithian said. He said he believes it was an Indiana Republican Party decision to rid itself of him and fellow Democrats David Evans, 6th District, and Phillip Sharp, 10th District. He said he also believes the GOP opted to redistrict to help newly-elected John Hiler retain the 3rd District seat in Congress.

Fithian charges GOP state chairman Bruce Melchart with "feathering his own political nest" by supporting creation of vastly altered 6th district. "He intends to run in the 6th District," Fithian said. Melchart said he won't discount the option of seeking office in the district but denies the realignment was done to favor him. Fithian said Hiler, Hillis and 7th District Rep. John Myers were all in Indianapolis when the map of congressional districts was being completed and were as responsible as Melchart for its design.

Benjamin, who will seek re-election in a larger district in 1982, also said the map has more political overtones than necessary. The GOP spent $250,000 to lease a computer to do the district mapping DisUictoestabliihed February 16. 1972 County with two or mor Cengrssiienal Districts. inst mops. crats had been the majority party, they would have done the same thing.

CZI Rep. Floyd Fithian, dis agrees. He says Democrats wouldn't have been so blatant. This is the Congressional District breakdown from 1972. "The Republicans are so safely in power they used their arrogance to Stories by Olga Briseno Porter Lake Present Districts Porter "C' Lake Marshall Starke Kosciusko Jasper Pulaski vT'V Wabash 1 I j1 7 4 I Cass I White I Benton I I I I Pulaski Fulton Jasper Wabash Cass CO White Grant Howard The Second District as it looked before the redistricting.

place of the Second District is the new Fifth District. It Offers Plenty of Political Options ft HAMMOND "I EUiHABI IlakeJ I I 1 jmf Km I tiiMii I I I I 1 A I I I If (J WABASH I ADAMS I MAftlS-" I UfAUTlk I "1 I IllMMOtel I HU -MM I MADISON I ANDERSON if BOONE I I I HAMILTON I if .....7 nq WDIANAPOUsir! I1 I I 1 i 7 Lf I I UNION I I ijf 1 I BLOOMTNtfTON 1 GREENE MONROE? 'u- I I i I 4'fttMN I I i i I ebanv f-- I I "1 NlfUMM I I 1 4A EVAvsviLr "Vr pJ District Rep. John Myers. He has since excluded Benjamin and Hiler from his list of options. Fithian's hometown of Lafayette is in the 7th District.

That could pit Fithian against Myers, a Republican, if Fithian seeks another congressional seat. Myers, 54, is serving his seventh term. Myers, who claims be will seek re-election in 1982, is a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations and serves as the ranking minority member of the Energy and Water Development subcommittees. Myers is also a member of the subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural. Development, and Related Agencies.

Hillis, 55, says he will seek a seventh term but he warns a Democrat would have difficulty -in his district. Much of the present 2nd District will be located in Hillis' 5th District. Hillis serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Military Nuclear Systems subcommittee. Hiler, 28, the youngest Congressman representing Indiana and the second youngest in the country, says he will seek re-election in 1982. In 1980, the young Republican beat John Brademas, unseating the Democrat after 22 years, with 55 percent of the vote.

Brademas was the House Majority Whip, the third highest ranking congressman. Rep. Floyd Fithian, Monday is expected to declare his candidacy for a major political off ice. Fithian, the 2nd District congressman, left without a district to represent in 1982, said he has contemplated the move for several months. Political observers predict he will announce plans to oppose Sen.

Richard Lugar, in 1982. Others suggest he will seek the Democratic. Partys' nomination to run for Indi-' ana Secretary of State in 1982. Fithian has scheduled press conferences Monday and Tuesday' throughout Indiana to announce his plans. Fithian says his career is at an important crossroad.

A state legislative party drew the new district lines which dissolved Fithian's district. Sen. Ernest Niemeyer, R-Lowell, who opposed Fithian in the 1980 elections, recently called Fithian a master politician. He said Fithian has a knack of returning to the district and telling its residents exactly what they want to hear. He said Fithian was destroyed politically by the redistricting and couldn't win a congressional or statewide post in 1982.

Fithian recently said his 1982 options are to oppose: Lugar; 1st District Rep. Adam Benjamin; 3rd District Rep. John Hiler; 5th District Rep. Elwood "Bud" Hillis; or 7th This is what the 1980 Census results did to districtin Floyd Fithian is a man without a district. 11-1--.