BOISE, Id – The Idaho Redistricting Commission couldn’t meet its Tuesday afternoon deadline. Despite three months of negotiations, Commissioners called it quits and walked out of the Statehouse without an agreement.
The six-member, bi-partisan Commission had ninety days to draw two maps. The U-S Congressional map splits the state for Idaho’s two districts. The Legislative map divides up the state into 35 districts. The Commission found common ground early on the Congressional map. But repeated recriminations on both sides caused talks to frequently break down over the Legislative map. Democrat Julie Kane said she was frustrated.
Julie Kane “There’s only six of us it seems like we should be able to come up with a plan. I don’t know what else to say, I’m just really frustrated.”
A lot of that frustration stemmed around four main sticking points on the Legislative map. Commissioners struggled with a handful of districts in North Idaho. They stalled in southeast Idaho and around Blaine County. They also fought over a district in the Treasure Valley, proposed by Democrats, that starts in downtown Boise and travels west. Here’s Republican Lou Esposito.
Lou Esposito “I’m gonna say this as gently as I can but I think I finally need to make the point. The reach from downtown Boise to Eagle is just plain unacceptable, it’s greed at its worst.”
The Commission met every day during the Labor Day weekend. Early Tuesday, members wrangled a compromise for North Idaho districts. Later in the day, the collaboration broke down. Commissioners stated using words like “tragedy,” and “not acceptable,” to describe some of the plans. Lou Esposito put it this way.
Lou Esposito “The only way to describe this is just an abomination for political advantage. I don’t know how else to even characterize this.”
The Commission failed to draw either a Legislative or a Congressional District map. That means it’s now up to the Idaho Supreme Court to decide what to do. Justices have several options. They could toss the redistricting process back to commissioners. Or they could draw their own maps.
Copyright 2011 BSPR
