Indiana House Republicans have unveiled a proposed congressional map that would shift nearly 6,000 Bartholomew County voters into new a district.

House Republicans posted the proposed congressional map on its website Monday as the House convened for a special session to redraw the Indiana’s congressional map ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

President Donald Trump has pushed Indiana Republicans to redraw the state’s U.S. House districts in ways that — at least in theory — could flip Democratic-held seats and help preserve the GOP’s narrow national majority in Congress. Republicans currently hold seven of Indiana’s nine seats.

Redistricting is a process that is normally done once a decade after the census, not mid-decade at the request of a president seeking a partisan advantage for his party in a midterm election.

The proposed map released Monday would place all of Bartholomew County within Indiana’s 6th Congressional District, eliminating the current split between the 6th and 9th districts the county. A total of 5,964 registered Bartholomew County voters currently reside in the 9th District, according to the Bartholomew County Clerk’s Office.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve, R-Ind., holds the 6th District seat, while Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., holds the 9th District seat.

Early redistricting has divided state lawmakers representing parts of Bartholomew County. Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, has been a vocal opponent — calling it “cheating” and a “ridiculous idea” that would backfire — while Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Columbus, strongly supports the idea, citing what he descried as the paralyzing effect a Democratic House majority would have on Trump’s agenda.

Despite initially saying early redistricting would be “ill-advised,” Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, said last week that is now open to redrawing the map and that he thinks it would be possible to draw new districts that are “as fair or fairer” than the current map.

The 6th District currently includes all of Johnson, Shelby, Hancock, Rush, Henry, Wayne, Union and Fayette counties, as well as most of Bartholomew County, half of Randolph County and the three southern townships in Marion County.

Under the proposed map, the 6th District would include all of Bartholomew, Jennings, Decatur, Johnson, Shelby, Rush and Fayette counties, as well as much of the southern and eastern portions of Marion County.

The 9th District currently includes all of Jackson, Jennings, Monroe, Brown, Lawrence, Washington, Floyd, Clark, Scott, Jefferson, Switzerland, Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio, Franklin and Harrison counties, as well as a slice of southern Bartholomew County.

Under the proposed map, the 9th District would include all of Jackson, Brown, Lawrence, Orange, Washington, Scott, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Crawford and Morgan counties, as well as a chunk of southeastern and central Marion County.

The House started meeting Monday to consider redrawing the state’s congressional maps. The Senate is expected to convene on Dec. 8. While lawmakers have said they expect a map to pass the House, it is currently unclear whether there is enough support in the Senate.
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