Harkin Institute hosts panel discussion on Iowa redistricting

The Harkin Institute convened a panel of experts to discuss Iowa’s redistricting process and how it stands out from that of other states during an event at the National Press Club on September 18, 2018. The event, Drawn Out: How Iowa Got Redistricting Right, was co-sponsored by The Harkin Institute and the Cook Political Report. Cook Political Report Editor Charlie Cook is a member of The Harkin Institute’s National Advisory Council.

The event was broadcast live on C-SPAN and can be viewed here.

Participants in the panel discussion included:

• Amy Walter, National Editor of the Cook Political Report
• Jean Lloyd-Jones, President of the Iowa League of Women Voters when the organization challenged the state’s redistricting plan
• Ed Cook, attorney with the Iowa Legislative Services Agency who oversees the state’s redistricting process
• Kay Henderson, news director for Radio Iowa and longtime reporter covering the Iowa Statehouse
• Joe O’Hern, former chief clerk of the Iowa House was responsible for research support for the initial legislation and involved in three of four redistricting plans done under the Iowa model.
• David Yepsen, host of Iowa Press on IPTV and former political reporter for The Des Moines Register, where he covered government and politics for 34 years.