I hate to talk about legislative and Congressional redistricting so early, but I caught an AP wire report today and see that there are three potential plans to change how Minnesota will draw its new districts after the 2010 census. It matters because Minnesota may lose one of its Congressional seats and the Iron Range is likely to lose at least one state House and Senate seat in the legislature. Currently, the State Legislature draws the districts but then judges almost always have to draw new ones when the legislative plans are deemed too partisan. Thus, we could argue that if the DFL or Republicans hold the governor’s mansion and both House and Senate they could pass a favorable plan for themselves, but in all likelihood power will be split and they won’t agree.
_The Carlson-Mondale plan would create a panel of five retired judges who have not been active in partisan politics. DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller is sponsoring the bill, which would require the commission to define and consider political competition when drawing new lines.
_Rest’s bill would ask voters in November to amend the state constitution to create a redistricting commission of nine voters. Legislative leaders would select four of the voters, but lawmakers would have no vote on the redistricting plan.
_A proposal from Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, would make the revisor of statutes and the heads of House research and Senate counsel draw the lines before legislative votes.
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