So, two-thirds of the “independent commission” are chosen directly by the Party Bosses, and then the Bosses’ surrogates choose the remaining one-third.
This scheme eliminates the power of the voters to have any say in redistricting by giving all the power over redistricting to the Party Bosses, by allowing them to hand-pick the members of the redistricting commission. The rank-and-file legislators can only give a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down to the plan as a whole. They cannot influence how the map gets drawn, no matter how unfair the map may be to their constituents. Under the present system, rank-and-file legislators have some power to protect their constituents by demanding changes to the map in exchange for their votes. Under this scheme, that power disappears – either they choose the devil they know or they roll the dice with having the Supreme Court redistrict.
The bottom-line is that as a practical matter the map will get drawn so as to (1) assure the reelection of the Party Bosses and (2) to divvy up the remainder of the State between the Party Bosses.
A redistricting commission had-picked by the Party Bosses is anything but an “Independent Redistricting Commission.” HB 706 is a legislative sleight-of-hand to increase the power of the powerful.