Transparency measures for redistricting fail to advance; HB5, HCR1 kept in committee (4–10)

Two measures aimed at increasing transparency in the redistricting process — House Bill 5 and House Concurrent Resolution 1 — were kept in committee after roll-call votes of 4 yeas and 10 nays.

Representative Patrick Jordan introduced HB5 as a narrowly tailored bill for the 2026 election cycle to ensure that maps, public submissions and "non-privileged analysis" prepared on behalf of the legislature be posted on the legislature’s redistricting website and made available to all lawmakers and the public. Jordan said the bill was not intended to undermine legislative privilege for staff work or for analyses paid for by an individual legislator; his repeated framing was that "if the body is the client, then everybody within the body should have access to it."

At committee, members raised several practical concerns. Some asked how the bill would treat drafts and work-in-progress, which could confuse the public if posted; others asked whether third‑party legal or technical analyses would be considered privileged. Jordan said the text confined the bill to analyses and materials produced on behalf of the legislature using legislative funds or as part of work the legislature commissioned, and he repeatedly emphasized that staff privilege and private, legislator‑paid work would be excluded.

Representative Newell and several public witnesses supported the transparency measures, saying that the public and rank-and-file legislators lacked access to analyses in prior redistricting efforts and that more layover time was warranted. Witnesses who spoke in support included Max Martin of the Power Coalition, Dr. Alice Washington, and Edgar Cage — participants in past litigation over congressional maps — who urged the committee to adopt clearer notice and access rules rather than rush map adoption.

Opponents raised procedural and legal objections and questioned whether the bill’s 72/24-hour layover windows would jeopardize the secretary of state’s deadlines for preparing ballots and related procedures. Representative Jordan responded that the bill was confined to the governor’s special-session call for 2026, and that he would consider narrower timing windows if necessary.

On the roll call, HB5 failed to reach a majority and the committee kept the bill in committee (4 yeas, 10 nays). Representative Newell moved to report HCR1; the roll call on HCR1 produced the same result, and HCR1 also remained in committee.