By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — State Sen. Ryan Mishler said he wants to hear the reasons behind the call for a special legislative session to redraw congressional maps.
The Trump administration, which has already seen Texas redistrict, has lobbied for the same to happen in Indiana, where seven of nine U.S. House seats are already held by Republicans.
Indiana lawmakers have moved rather slowly after the Trump administration began urging Hoosier Republicans to redistrict in hopes of picking up more seats in Congress.
A few other states have moved forward with redistricting.
Gov. Mike Braun, who would have to call a special session to redraw maps, said recently that he could see lawmakers addressing the issue in November.
Mishler, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, on Tuesday said he has questions.
“I’ve been open-minded about it, but no one’s been able to show me anything that would show a reason at this point,” Mishler said while attending the Kosciusko County Fish Tuesday at the fairgrounds in Warsaw.
Mishler said he has stayed busy with other issues this summer.
“I’ve been going to budget committees doing what I do, and that’s all I’ve really been involved with. We haven’t had any discussions about anything out of the ordinary,” he said.
A special session could cost upward of $200,000 — or more, depending on how long it lasts — and Mishler said unexpected costs are always a concern.
Mishler was asked if redistricting halfway through the normal ten-year process could end up backfiring and hurt Republicans.
“I think anytime you make a change, if you have a viable reason to do it, and you can explain why you need to do it, I don’t think it’s an issue. But then again, that’s why we have to answer those questions,” he said.
He said the new maps drawn in 2020 are more “squared off” in their designs, which he likes.
