Jolt
Tuesday Jolt: Congressional Districting Plan to Be Unveiled Tomorrow
Not much of a Jolt today, but definitely news that'll provide fodder for tomorrow's winners and losers:
At today's Redistricting Commission meeting—already a makeup meeting for the one that was postponed last week—Republican commissioner Slade Gorton and Democratic commissioner Tim Ceis (two of the four on the bipartisan commission)—announced that they would unveil their proposal for the new congressional districts map tomorrow. (Washington State gets to add a tenth Congressional District thanks to the 2010 census data.)
Their other outstanding task, finishing up the makeover for state legislative districts, will be unveiled later in the week. (The commission unveiled the legislative map for the Puget Sound two weeks ago.)
Activists have been pushing for the state's first majority minority district—one that does not already have an incumbent already in place. Three of the original four proposals already recommended a majority minority district, and two of those didn't have an incumbent attached to the turf.
Ceis and Gorton have been at odds over where the new district should be. Gorton proposed a district in the northwest corner of the state while Ceis proposed one around Olympia. They have until January 1 to finalize the maps.
Footnote: At today's meeting, an email from a voter was read into the record that chastised the members for being surrogates of the political parities and gumming up the process with partisan bickering. The email said citizens should be in charge of the process.
Commission Chair Laura Powell (a fifth, non-voting member), rolled her eyes and said the system worked better than the one she experienced in Maryland, and noted that California's redistricting process—headed by a citizens' commission—was having its own problems.
At today's Redistricting Commission meeting—already a makeup meeting for the one that was postponed last week—Republican commissioner Slade Gorton and Democratic commissioner Tim Ceis (two of the four on the bipartisan commission)—announced that they would unveil their proposal for the new congressional districts map tomorrow. (Washington State gets to add a tenth Congressional District thanks to the 2010 census data.)
Their other outstanding task, finishing up the makeover for state legislative districts, will be unveiled later in the week. (The commission unveiled the legislative map for the Puget Sound two weeks ago.)
Activists have been pushing for the state's first majority minority district—one that does not already have an incumbent already in place. Three of the original four proposals already recommended a majority minority district, and two of those didn't have an incumbent attached to the turf.
Ceis and Gorton have been at odds over where the new district should be. Gorton proposed a district in the northwest corner of the state while Ceis proposed one around Olympia. They have until January 1 to finalize the maps.
Footnote: At today's meeting, an email from a voter was read into the record that chastised the members for being surrogates of the political parities and gumming up the process with partisan bickering. The email said citizens should be in charge of the process.
Commission Chair Laura Powell (a fifth, non-voting member), rolled her eyes and said the system worked better than the one she experienced in Maryland, and noted that California's redistricting process—headed by a citizens' commission—was having its own problems.
