We can’t just let states go rogue and redistrict more than once a decade

Consider this a call to state reason.

Here in Maryland, I am introducing legislation to automatically redraw our state's eight congressional districts if and only if another state breaks from our shared norms and chooses to redraw their lines more than once this decade.

Texas and others are currently threatening to do so — even though they, Maryland and other states have already redrawn their U.S. House districts for this decade based on the 2020 U.S. Census.

If these states are allowed to change the rules and districts in the middle of the coming election, the remaining states will be forced to counter this blatant power grab. Even if it takes states years to implement a response, a strong response must be offered to disincentivize such conduct now and in future election cycles.

But I still hope we can all step back from the brink.

Indeed, Texas leaders ran this play once before, in 2003, when they drew and re-drew congressional districts until they got the result they wanted. Georgia followed suit soon after, but the rest of the states looked on quietly as this questionable, anomalous behavior played out in that decade. 

Now, as we watch history repeat itself two decades later, we cannot again allow states to go rogue and form a lasting precedent for re-drawing congressional districts whenever they want.

Since each state draws its own lines to elect its members of Congress, we at least need parity on this fundamental question of how often a state can redraw its share of the combined 435-member House of Representatives. Parity — and predictability — on these basic ground rules is essential to the integrity of our shared democracy. Fairness dictates either that all states should redistrict whenever they want, or that none should do so. The reasonable choice is the latter. It should be obvious that subjecting the public — and Congress itself — to endless redistricting should be avoided.

Unfortunately, this is not obvious to President Trump. He is attempting to rig the system and is publicly encouraging efforts to make state officials to "find" votes for him in Congress. Amid plummeting approval ratings, Trump’s strategy this time around is asking state leaders to keep redrawing the lines of their state's U.S. House districts until he gets the election results he wants.

The last time the president needed help "finding" votes, numerous state leaders dared to say no. We need that same courage now.

Meanwhile, there is another, better way forward. States can choose reason by adopting an interstate compact to govern redistricting — at least on this question of how often they are allowed to redistrict. I urge states to adopt such a treaty until Congress puts these ground rules into federal law or the courts see fit to step in and properly referee for our fragile democracy.

But again, I hope state leaders can all quickly step back from the brink. With any luck, my legislation and call to action will be moot, and states will stick with the norm of only drawing new congressional districts one time after the decennial census. 

But if rogue states repeat their history of trying to one-up their fellow American states, the other states must unfortunately respond in kind this time. 

Hopefully, that coming spiral will give members in both parties the courage of reason to end this race to the bottom.

David Moon is a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates. He serves as the chamber’s majority leader.