Redistricting deadline reset

BRAD SHANNON, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published January 23, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Gary Locke signed the 2002 Legislature's first bill into law Tuesday -- in effect legitimizing the tardy redistricting plans that were approved by the Washington State Redistricting Commission.

Senate Bill 6296 changes the deadline for the Redistricting Commission to adopt its maps, moving it from Dec. 15 to Jan. 1.

The new law means that the citizen commission, which unanimously approved a legislative plan on Dec. 16 and a congressional plan on Jan. 1, met its deadlines.

'The simplest thing'

"There's no reason for having this revisited, reopened and completely redone when the commission itself has done such a good job," Locke said.

"The simplest thing to do ... was to change the statute so that it'll be legal as long as it complied with the constitutional deadline of Jan. 1."

The new deadline appears to be enough to keep the state Supreme Court at bay.

Under a referendum approved by voters in 1983, the job of redistricting would have fallen to the high court -- if Attorney General Christine Gregoire had notified the court that the Redistricting Commission failed in its duties.

Instead, Gregoire worked with legislative leaders, who ensured quick passage of the bill.

"I think our position is the same as it's been from the beginning," state Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander said in a telephone interview from a national conference of chief justices he is attending in Tucson, Ariz.

"Assuming no one files a challenge to what he's done, we're not going to do anything."

The redistricting plans adjusted boundaries for the state's 49 legislative and nine congressional districts, equalizing their populations to reflect population changes in the 2000 Census.

New boundaries

The biggest change in South Sound's congressional boundaries is that Lacey residents will switch districts in the fall elections.

Their ballots will include candidates in the 9th district now held by U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, a Tacoma Democrat, rather than the 3rd district, a seat now held by U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, a Vancouver Democrat.

The biggest legislative change is that areas of southeast Thurston County, including Rainier and Yelm, will shift out of the 20th and into the 2nd Legislative District, which also takes in southern Pierce County.

No opposition yet

The new plans mark the second time a citizen commission has done the work in Washington state, and both times were preferable to the old way of letting the Legislature do it, Locke and others said.

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, the 6th Congressional District Democrat who recently moved to Belfair in Mason County, agreed. "I've been through this twice, when the commission did it and when the Legislature did it," said Dicks, who rounded up support for the plans from the state's other members of Congress. "I prefer the commission."

Locke went further, endorsing Washington's approach as a model he'd like to see other states adopt.

Washington's approach used a nonpartisan chairman with two Democrats and two Republicans commissioners.

"I don't see any basis for anyone challenging this," said Dicks, echoing a sentiment felt by Locke and Democratic redistricting commissioner Dean Foster of Olympia. "I don't think they would prevail."

Revised statute legalizes adjusted district bounds

On the Web:

- Washington State Redistricting Commission

- Summary Page for Senate Bill 6296

To learn more

Despite approval of new redistricting maps, existing legislative and congressional district boundaries will remain in effect "until an election is run under the new ones," Secretary of State Sam Reed said.

- The State Capital Museum will host a discussion at 7 p.m. today by two participants in the recently concluded redistricting effort. For details, call the museum at 360-753-2580 or visit the state historical society's Web site, www.wshs.org.

- For information about the redistricting maps, call the commission at 360-586-9000 or visit www.redistricting.wa.gov.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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