Joan C. Browning for House - Greenbrier County - 28th

Joan C. Browning, West Virginia’s 1961 Freedom Rider, is trying again to win one of two Greenbrier County seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates.  She has been involved in progressive politics since she was 18 and in 1968, she was Treasurer of Georgian for Robert F. Kennedy.

This is the first elective office she has sought for herself.  In her race for the WV House of Delegates two years ago, she won by two votes, and then narrowly lost by two votes.  A full recount awarded the victory to her opponent by a slim 24 votes. 
Two issues drive her to seek election to the House.

Saving some of the four West Virginians who die each week for lack of health insurance, and promoting economic stability by making available affordable health insurance for the self employed, farmers, and small businesses.

Promoting legislation to better stem the epidemic of abused children, women, Seniors, and disabled Mountaineers.

How can you help elect Joan Browning?  Check out some good suggestions by going here.

In rural Greenbrier County, a House campaign gets expensive.  Contributions are always welcome @ JoanCBrowning’08, PO Box 1147, Lewisburg WV  24901.

http://www.dremadems.com/candidates/browning.php

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 2008 ELECTION FOR

GREENBRIER COUNTY REDISTRICTING

By Joan C. Browning, candidate, House of Delegates,

District 28-Greenbrier County

The material below embolden in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is Joan C. Browning commentary on the information in lower case that was excerpted from the West Virginia Secretary of State web site at http://www.wvsos.com/elections/offices/districts.htm#Senatorial.

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE WHO WE ELECT THIS YEAR TO THE WEST VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES, THE WEST VIRGINIA SENATE, AND THE GREENBRIER COUNTY COMMISSION?  THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WILL REPRESENT GREENBRIER COUNTY IN REDISTRICTING. 

WEST VIRGINIA HOUSE AND SENATE DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS AND COUNTY’S EASTERN, CENTRAL AND WESTERN DISTRICTS ARE REDRAWN AFTER A U. S. CENSUS.  THE NEXT CENSUS WILL BE IN 2010.  GREENBRIER COUNTY NEEDS A STRONG LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION TO ASSURE THAT WE ARE REDISTRICTED AS AN ENTIRE COUNTY AND NOT SPLINTERED INTO TWO OR THREE SENATORIAL AND DELEGATE DISTRICTS!

Federal and state legislative districts are realigned every ten years during the year following the U. S. census.  Redistricting is done by the West Virginia Legislature; the new plan was adopted at a special session in 2001. 

Judicial circuits and family court circuits are aligned based on factors including both population and caseload, and those circuits are realigned whenever the Legislature finds it necessary.

Magisterial districts are realigned every ten years, following the U. S. census.  County executive committee members for the political parties are elected from these districts, and this alignment also affects the election of county commission members and board of education members.

When statewide redistricting is done, the total population of the state is divided by the number of persons elected to a legislative body to determine the ideal population per seat.  The population represented by each legislative branch elected official usually must fall within a range of plus or minus 5% of that ideal number to meet the standards set by the courts in past years.  Redistricting is not done based on the number of registered voters or eligible voters, but is done on all citizens counted in the census.

Congressional Districts

Currently, West Virginia has three congressional districts, each district representing about 600,000 citizens.  Population shifts since 1990 made it necessary for the Legislature to move two counties out of the Second Congressional District, one to the First District and one to the Third District.  The West Virginia Constitution provides that the congressional districts should consist of whole counties whenever possible.

JCB Note:  GREENBRIER COUNTY USED TO BE AT THE SOUTHERNMOST BOUNDARY OF THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  NOW, IT IS THE EASTERN-MOST COUNTY IN THE THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  WILL GREENBRIER COUNTY BE MOVED BACK TO THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN 2010?  THE WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE WILL DECIDE!

Senatorial Districts

Since the West Virginia Senate has thirty-four members, and each district must have two senators, the number of senatorial districts is fixed at seventeen, unless the number of members changes.  The districts currently range in geographical size from one county to parts of nine counties in order to achieve the right population distribution to assure equal representation.

JCB NOTE:  ALL OF GREENBRIER COUNTY IS NOW IN ONE SENATORIAL DISTRICT, ALONG WITH ALL OF SUMMERS AND MONROE AND PARTS OF MERCER AND FAYETTE COUNTIES.  WITHOUT A STRONG VOICE IN THE 2010 LEGISLATURE, GREENBRIER COUNTY COULD BE CHOPPED INTO TWO OR EVEN THREE SENATORIAL DISTRICTS.

Delegate Districts

The 100-member House of Delegates is currently divided into 58 districts, up two districts from the previous decade.  Unlike the State Senate, a district might have only one member or as many as seven.  Some districts include only a portion of one county, while others include parts of several counties.  To balance representation, each one percent of the state's total population of 1,808,344 in the 2000 census is represented by one member. 

JCB NOTE:  GREENBRIER COUNTY’S 2000 CENSUS POPULATION WAS 34,453, OR 0.0190522 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S TOTAL.  FOR THE TWO DELEGATES THAT THE LEGISLATURE GAVE TO GREENBRIER COUNTY, THE 1% WOULD HAVE BEEN 36,167.  WE WERE 1,714 PEOPLE SHORT OF THE 1% PERFECT SCORE FOR TWO DELEGATES WITHIN THE COUNTY BOUNDARIES.   WE WERE WITHIN THE PLUS OR MINUS 5% VARIATION, BUT BARELY – THE 5% VARIATION WAS 1,808 PEOPLE. 

GREENBRIER COUNTY IS FORTUNATE THAT ITS TWO DELEGATE SEATS SERVE ALL OF, BUT ONLY, GREENBRIER COUNTY.  STRONG LEGISLATIVE VOICES ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO KEEP TWO DELEGATE DISTRICTS SERVING THE ENTIRE COUNTY.  

Judicial Circuits

Unlike districts in the legislative branch, judicial branch positions are not so strongly limited by equal representation requirements.  Therefore, the Legislature has developed judicial alignments which take into account the case loads of the courts as well as population and geographical area in order to fairly distribute court services.  Circuit judges, who have jurisdiction over general civil and criminal cases, are elected from 31 circuits, each consisting of one or more whole counties, and including from one to seven judges.  New family court circuits were created by the Legislature in 2001 to provide for the family courts required by the 2000 Constitution Amendment adopted by the voters, the Unified Family Court Amendment.  The thirty-five new elective positions will serve in twenty-six circuits. 

Magisterial Districts

The minimum number of magisterial districts per county is three, and most of West Virginia's 55 counties have three magisterial districts.  These districts are subject to the equal representation requirements. 

JCB Note:  THE COUNTY COMMISSION DRAWS THE BOUNDARIES FOR GREENBRIER COUNTY’S THREE DISTRICTS:  EASTERN, CENTRAL, AND WESTERN.  IT MATTERS WHO WE ELECT TO THE GREENBRIER COUNTY COMMISSION IN 2008!  MY PREDICTION IS THAT THE CENTRAL DISTRICT HAS GAINED THE MOST POPULATION AND ITS BOUNDARIES WILL TAKE IN LESS TERRITORY.  THE EASTERN AND WESTERN DISTRICTS WILL BE LARGER – WHICH COMMUNITIES WILL GO WEST, WHICH WILL GO EAST?  THE COUNTY COMMISSION WILL DECIDE.