House Defeats Last of Redistricting Proposals
3/11/2009
The last of three proposals to change North Dakota`s legislative redistricting has been beaten in the state House.
Right now the work of drawing legislative districts is in the hands of legislators themselves. Democrats have offered three constitutional amendments to give the job to independent commissions.
Two of the amendments were defeated in the Senate last week. The House amendment would have used a panel of state district judges and a professional geographer to draw district boundaries. The amendment was voted down, 58-34.
Venturia Representative Bill Kretschmar says redistricting should stay in the hands of the Legislature, because lawmakers are accountable to voters.
Grand Forks Representative Corey Mock sponsored the amendment. He says it would help build trust among North Dakotans in the redistricting process. He says the existing process is too political.
West Fargo Representative Kim Koppelman says independent commissions are used in other states when there are redistricting problems. But Koppelman believes North Dakota`s system works well.