Jones: Overview of Iowa's nonpartisan redistricting process

The Iowa Constitution requires that every 10 years following the census there must be a drawing of congressional and state legislative districts based on changes in population, also known as redistricting.

In Iowa, the responsibility of drawing the map of proposed districts lies with the nonpartisan bill drafting agency, known as the Legislative Services Agency (LSA). The plan developed by LSA is required by Code to have each Senate and House district have a population as nearly equal as practicable, with certain narrow mean deviations allowed under the law. Additionally, the Iowa Constitution requires the legislative districts to be compact and contiguous, with Code clarifying that that the number of counties and cities divided among more than one district be as small as possible with the larger populated political subdivision being divided first. Iowa Code even goes on to discuss length-width compactness and perimeter compactness of each district.

The important thing here is to know that Iowa is not like other states where you see oddly formed legislative districts influenced by political parties, both Democrat and Republican states alike.

So, what's next? With the U.S. Census complete and required to report information to Congress and the president by Dec. 31, shortly after each state will be notified with the number of representatives to which each state is entitled. Iowa currently has four members of Congress.

Shortly in to the new year, Iowa will create the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission which consists of four legislators in both chambers and political parties, and a fifth member that does not hold political office as selected by the other members. This Commission will hold public hearings and submit a report to the legislature based on the first proposed plan developed by LSA. LSA is required to submit the first proposed redistricting plan to the Legislature by April 1, 2021, assuming the U.S. Census submits information to Iowa by Feb. 15, 2021.

Rep. Megan Jones serves Clay, Palo Alto and parts of Dickinson counties in Iowa House District 2.