Over the next few days, the General Assembly will be hosting another round of public comments on redistricting. Unfortunately, it will likely be similar to the last round of public comments that were “sandbagged” by scripted public comments.
All on the Line (AOTL) and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) scheduled testimony training on Sunday, October 24.
Those training sessions appear to be another example of these organizations scripting public testimony. During their training sessions, both Organizations provided example testimonies and talking points for their members to use during the Redistricting hearings.
Screenshot of SCSJ Justice Redistricting Communications & Mobilization Toolkit, October 25, 2021
AOTL & SCSJ use similar language in their sample testimonies. A copy of AOTL’s template script can be found here.
SCSJ has worked with other progressive organizations to create resources for their members in this year’s redistricting efforts, joining North Carolina Counts Coalition, Common Cause North Carolina, and Democracy North Carolina as partners in their efforts to influence redistricting.
Screenshot of SCSJ Justice Redistricting Communications & Mobilization Toolkit, October 25, 2021
Both AOTL & the SCSJ have already shown their intent to sue over any maps that the General Assembly draws, even before maps are drafted. These organizations are simply utilizing these public comments hearings to strengthen their position in the inevitable lawsuits against the legislative and congressional maps through scripted public testimony.
