CHRISTINE
CHRISTINE PITAWANICH, KGW NEWS. >> CHRISTINE, THANK YOU.
NOW BUCKLE UP, STRAP IN, BRACE
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF.
YOURSELF. BREAKING NEWS IT IS BREAKING AT
LIKE NOON.
LIKE NOON. IT'S KIND OF BROKE AT THIS
POINT BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD
IF THAT'S THE CASE YOU HEARD IT
HERE FIRST.
HERE FIRST. OREGON IS GETTING A SIXTH
CONGRESSIONAL SEAT.
CONGRESSIONAL SEAT. NO, DON'T DON'T STOP THE VIDEO
.
.
. CHANGE
. CHANGE THE CHANNEL.
IT'S IMPORTANT.
IT'S IMPORTANT. I SWEAR WE'LL MAKE IT
INTERESTING SAEE RIGHT NOW
OREGON IS SPLIT UP LIKE THIS.
THIS IS THE MAP AND YOU SEE ALL
THOSE DIFFERENT CHUNKS THERE.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT SIZES BUT
EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE DIFFERENT
SIZE AND THEY LOOK A LOT
DIFFERENT ON THE MAP, THEY ALL
HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE
LIVING IN EACH ONE.
POPULATIONS ARE EQUAL AND THAT
MEANS THAT WHEN WE ADD THE
SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT THEY
WILL HAVE TO CHANGE ALL
OF THOSE LINES MAYBE
SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE ALL
OF THE DISTRICTS INCLUDING THE
NEW ONE WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE
SAME POPULATION.
SAME POPULATION. >> INTERESTING RIGHT NOW YOU'RE
NOT THAT INTO IT.
WELL, PERHAPS I SHOULD ADD
THERE MIGHT BE SOME DRAMA YOU
NOW, RIGHT ?
>> I TALKED TO SOME OF THE
OREGON LAWMAKERS IN CHARGE
OF DRAWING THE NEW LINES
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THEY DO
EVERY TEN YEARS AFTER THE
CENSUS BUT IT'S USUALLY MORE
OF A TWEAK.
WE HAVEN'T ADDED A NEW DISTRICT
IN LIKE 40 YEARS NOW THE REASON
WE'RE GETTING A NEW SEAT IS
PRETTY SIMPLE.
PRETTY SIMPLE. LOTS OF PEOPLE MOVE TO OREGON
IN THE PAST DECADE ACCORDING TO
THE TWENTY TWENTY CENSUS, OUR
POPULATION JUMPED MORE THAN 10
PERCENT FROM THREE POINT EIGHT
MILLION TO FOUR POINT TWO
MILLION PEOPLE.
MILLION PEOPLE. THIS IS MEANINGFUL ESPECIALLY
WHEN YOU CONSIDER OREGON'S
POWER IN NATIONAL POLITICS ON
THE NATIONAL STAGE WE GAINED A
SEAT IN CONGRESS WHILE MANY
OTHER STATES ACTUALLY LOST WON
LIKE CALIFORNIA AND ILLINOIS,
MICHIGAN, NEW YORK, OHIO,
PENNSYLVANIA AND WILD
AND WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA.
NOW BACK TO THE DRAMA PART SAEE
DEMOCRATS THEY HAVE THE POWER
IN SALEM.
IN SALEM.
IN SALEM. THEY OUTNUMBER REPUBLICANS
AND FOUR OUT OF THOSE FIVE
SEATS ON THE MAP.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE INTERVIEW
THAT I DID WITH THE MEMBERS
OF THE REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE
INCLUDING REPUBLICAN SENATOR
TIM CARNAP WHEN I ASKED HIM
ABOUT THE POSSIBLE OF DEMOCRATS
STACKING THE DECK
BIPARTISANSHIP OR LACK THEREOF
RATHER IS SOMETHING THAT A LOT
OF PEOPLE WERE KIND
OF CONCERNED WITH SPECIFICALLY
REPUBLICANS IN THE STATE.
THE DEMOCRATS ARE GOING TO DRAW
THE LINES IN A WAY THAT WILL
BOX REPUBLICANS OUT MORE THAN
THEY FEEL THEY ARE CURRENTLY.
SO SENATOR, HOW DO YOU KIND
OF HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU
ADDRESS THE REPUBLICANS IN THIS
STATE WHO HAVE SOME CONCERNS
ABOUT THAT OUTCOME?
>> WELL, I WOULD SIMPLY SAY THE
US CENSUS DATA IS GOING TO BE
WHAT IT IS AND WITH THE
TECHNOLOGY THAT EXISTS TODAY
FOR THE SOFTWARE TO DRAW THESE
PROGRAMS, EVERYONE INCLUDING
THE LEGISLATURE, THE MEDIA
AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE ACCESS
TO THE SAME SYSTEM.
AND SO IF ONE THE LINES AREN'T
BEING DRAWN IN A FAIR
AND REASONABLE WAY AND A LEGAL
WAY, IT WILL BE OBVIOUS TO
EVERYONE.
EVERYONE.
EVERYONE. >> NOW I SHOULD MENTION THIS
DOESN'T JUST APPLY TO THE
CONGRESSIONAL MAPS.
CONGRESSIONAL MAPS. RIGHT AND WHO WE SEND TO D.C.
BUT IT'S ALSO ALL 90
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS. LAWMAKERS KNOW THIS IS A TOUCHY
SUBJECT.
SUBJECT.
SUBJECT. THE HOUSE HAS ACTUALLY AGREED
TO HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION IN
THE COMMITTEE PROCESS WHICH IS
A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
REPUBLICANS DON'T OFTEN GET TO
PLAY ON AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD
BUT THAT BUT DON'T THINK THAT
THAT MEANS EVERYTHING WILL BE
SMOOTH SAILING SAEE SOME PEOPLE
IN THE GOP THINK THAT ONE THE
REASON IS THE PLAYING FIELD
ISN'T EVEN IS BECAUSE THE GAME
IS RIGGED BY THE WAY THE LINES
HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP UNTIL NOW.
HOUSE MINORITY LEADER
REPUBLICAN CHRISTINE DRAZAN
SAID IN A STATEMENT RECENTLY
OUR CURRENT MAPS HAVE FAVORED
ONE POLITICAL PARTY OVER
ANOTHER FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS.
BUT OREGONIANS CAN BE CONFIDENT
THAT THE 6TH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT WILL BE DRAWN
ACCORDING TO THE RULES TO GIVE
PEOPLE FAIR REPRESENTATION.
SHE ALSO SAID NOW THAT WE HAVE
EQUAL REPRESENTATION ON THE
REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE, OUR
LEGISLATIVE AND CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS WILL BE DRAWN IN A
WAY THAT AVOIDS POLITICAL
GERRYMANDERING.
GERRYMANDERING. >> SO IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE
HAS AN EVEN SAY IN THIS EXCEPT
FOR THE FACT THAT DEMOCRATS DO
HAVE A SECRET WEAPON MORE OF A
KIND OF A RELEASE THE CRACKEN
KIND OF OPTION IF LAWMAKERS
CANNOT COME TO AN AGREEMENT,
WELL THEN THE JOB WILL GO TO
SHEMYA FAGAN, THE SECRETARY
OF STATE A LIBERAL DEMOCRAT
AND REPUBLICANS REALLY DON'T
WANT THAT JOB TO GO TO A
DEMOCRAT.
DEMOCRAT.
DEMOCRAT. FRANKLY, DEMOCRATS