Order New Lawn Signs, We Are Going to Be District 50A

The Minnesota House Redistricting Committee released Monday night a controversial map detailing the new Minnesota House and Senate districts.  This committee introduced their version of a redistricting bill last Friday in the House with a bill number (HF 1425) but no map.  The Minnesota Senate has yet to produce their districting plan and have until May 23rd which is the end of the current session to do so.  The law requires that there be a new district numbering system and it looks like we are now going to be District 50A. 

There are so many problems with the House’s process and plan; it is hard to find a starting point to begin a discussion.  Most important to Mendota Patch readers is that West St. Paul would no longer be a part of our district.  Inver Grove Heights and Sun Fish Lake would take West St. Paul’s rightful place.  If this plan were in place today, Joe Adkins would be our House representative instead of Rick Hansen.  One of the most important criteria in any legitimate redistricting plan is in keeping “communities of interest” together.  There may be no larger or more important “community of interest” in the current House district 39A than ISD 197 which the proposed plan would divide.

Most disconcerting is that the Republican led House Committee made little attempt to make this process transparent.  Although the redrawn map was available earlier, they placed an embargo on its public release until 6:30 pm Monday night, thereby meeting the minimum legal time requirement of twenty-four hours for review before Tuesdays Committee hearing.

The state-wide ramifications of this plan will determine for the next ten years whether Minnesota will remain a “purple” state as opposed to a “red” or “blue” state.  If this plan would become law, ten incumbent House members would have to run against ten of their fellow colleagues.  Five of these races could very well match a Democrat against another fellow Democrat.  Four of the races could pit an incumbent Democrat against an incumbent Republican while only one race would match two incumbent Republicans against one another.  The plan as envisioned would also have three incumbent Democratic Senators paired against three incumbent Democrats.  This is not what I would consider to be a fair plan.

Neither the Minnesota House nor Senate has released maps showing redrawn Congressional House districts.  If the proposed Minnesota House plan should become law, there is a very good chance that Mendota Heights, Mendota and Lilydale residents will become part of District Two (Kline) instead of District Four (McCollum).  Most of Inver Grove Heights is already part of District Two.

Of course this is just the beginning of what will be a long, contentious process that may well have to be decided (again) by the Minnesota Supreme Court.  The House and Senate versions will have to be reconciled and then Governor Dayton will most probably veto the finished bill.  This should not however keep you from getting involved.  I for one would like to see a more transparent, citizen-led redistricting process.  How about you?