A bill that would set redistricting standards recently passed the Indiana Senate by a vote of comfortable margin.

Senate Bill 326, authored by State Sen. Greg Walker, a Columbus Republican, would set certain standards for drawing congressional and state districts following the results of the 2020 census. Some of the standards would include making districts as compact as possible, being composed of contiguous territory and minimizing the division of cities, neighborhoods or counties. The bill passed on a vote of 42 to 6.

“This bill is an effective first step in our redistricting efforts,” Walker said. “Redistricting is a complex issue, and this bill would get the ball rolling on how we draw our maps in the future. Just like students have to show their work in order to get credit on an assignment, this bill would require lawmakers to ‘show their work’ when drawing legislative maps, providing more transparency and clear standards for how districts should be drawn.”

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for further consideration.