As the state approaches the 2010 Census, the General Assembly will begin the process of drawing up legislative and Congressional districts for the following decade.
Two Republican legislators have suggested alternative methods.
Sen. Pete Brunstetter of Forysth County has proposed putting that power in the hands of an independent commission, while Rep. Nelson Dollar of Cary has again suggested allowing any citizen to submit their own plan.
Brunstetter's plan would create an 11-member commission with four Democrats, four Republicans and three others not affliated with either party. Leaders of each party would submit a list of names and strike others, as in a jury pool, with the final picks made by a lottery.
It would also restrict commission members and their relatives from running for office or working as a lobbyist for three years.
"We want to go out of our way to make sure the commission is independent," he said.
Dollar, meantime, has again filed a bill that would allow private citizens to turn in their redistricting plans and have an existing state commission designated by the governor score them based on an objective point system.
"Let's put this more in the hands of the people and not have it be driven so much by the politics of whichever party is in charge," he said.
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