Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
This redistricting map was approved by the state redistricting committee, but after the legal deadline to do so. The state Supreme Court will now draw the new redistricting map.
DAVENPORT-A proposed redistricting map submitted by the State Redistricting Commission could move Lincoln County from the 13th Legislative District to the 9th Legislative District. However, the commission failed to agree on a new districting map by its Nov. 15 deadline, so the state Supreme Court will decide the final map.
The four-person voting commission, which includes House Democratic Caucus Appointee April Sims, House Republican Caucus Appointee Paul Graves, Senate Democratic Caucus Appointee Brady Pinero Walkinshaw and Senate Republican Caucus Appointee Joe Fain, failed to meet its legal deadline for the first time in state history after neglecting to agree on a district map.
The commission did, however, approve Congressional and Legislative maps that the Supreme Court could use for reference, if desired.
The approved Congressional District map would leave Lincoln County in the 5th District, represented by Cathy McMorris Rodgers. The approved Legislative District map, however, would move the county from the 13th District to the 9th District, which would give Lincoln County new legislative representatives.
The 9th District is currently represented by Senator Mark Schoesler and Reps. Mary Dye and Joe Schmick. The 13th District, where Lincoln County presently resides, is represented by Senator Judy Warnick and Reps. Tom Dent and Alex Ybarra.
The proposed commission map would revamp the 9th District to include all of Lincoln, Whitman, Columbia, Garfield and Asotin Counties and parts of Adams, Franklin and Spokane Counties.
The district would border the 6th District at the Spokane County Line north of a line drawn through Medical Lake, but would extend to the Idaho border below that line to include Cheney, Spangle, Rockford and areas outskirting Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake.
The border between the 9th and 6th District would run along West Fancher Road from the county border before running below Medical Lake City limits. It would then connect at West Medical Lake/Four Lakes Road and continue on to Cheney/Spokane Road.
A legislative district move would be the second in as many decades for Lincoln County, as redistricting occurs the year after the census is taken. The county moved to the 13th Legislative District from the 7th Legislative District in 2011 after 20 years in the district that now includes Douglas, Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Orielle and parts of Spokane and Grant Counties.
The state Supreme Court has until April 30 to draw official redistricting maps.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
Reader Comments(0)