Democrats and Republicans have released competing maps for the state’s 49 legislative districts as they move forward with the process of redrawing political boundaries.
The Seattle Times reports the proposals Tuesday by the four voting members of the Washington State Redistricting Commission will kick start negotiations. The bipartisan panel has a Nov. 15 deadline to finalize the maps.
The Republican maps, released by former state legislators Joe Fain and Paul Graves, seek to create many more competitive districts. The GOP is in the minority in both chambers in the Legislature. The Democrats’ maps, from state labor council leader April Sims and former legislator Brady Piñero Walkinshaw, didn’t emphasize partisan competitiveness as a priority, saying their goals are fair representation and elevating communities of color.
By law, the new political districts must be as equal in population as possible — about 157,000 people per district — and aren’t supposed to be gerrymandered to favor any party or discriminate against any group. At least three of the commission’s four voting members must approve the new maps by Nov. 15. The Legislature can make only minor tweaks.
If the commission were to fail to reach agreement, the state Supreme Court would be charged with drawing the new maps. (AP)
