For the past 20 years, redistricting in Washington has been evolving. It is changing for the good of democracy by taking on the meaning of true bipartisanship, fair negotiation, and public involvement.

During the information-gathering and plan-drafting phases, the 2001-2002 Washington State Redistricting Commission remained committed to public participation. The commission's five members urged the public to attend hearings and meetings, submit recommendations and inquiries, and, in general, offer comments about the once-a-decade process of redrawing political boundaries. The commission recognized that the legally and historically significant task of redrawing 58 district boundaries is one that would require community-by-community collaboration, and consensus building.

Between January 2001 and January 2002, more than 40 hearings and meetings were convened across the state. The first 16 summer hearings, in as many different locations, offered the public abundant opportunity to testify about redistricting priorities relevant to their communities. In late September the commissioners debuted their draft plans and held three more hearings that drew large attendance in Seattle, Spokane and Centralia.

In all, nearly 900 people attended the two rounds of hearings. Another 500 delivered boundary-line recommendations in letters, faxes and e-mails. What is more, the commission’s timely web site postings of draft plans, meeting announcements and map proposals by third parties, kept all those who wished stay on top of redistricting news, well-engaged.

When the Commission began its first round of public hearings in May 2001, traffic to the redistricting web site totaled 800 unique visitors. By the end of December 2001, the site's unique visitors climbed to 2,767 people. In that month, more than 1,500 individuals stopped in to view the commissioners’ final legislative and congressional district plans.

To see the schedule of public hearings click here.


The laws that govern the Redistricting Commission allow third parties, meaning individuals or interest groups, to submit plans that realign the boundaries for 49 legislative and 9 congressional districts. In all, the Commission received a combination of nine formal and informal plans. A formal plan is one that follows a prescribed format and covers all the state's territory, or at least all the territory lying east or west of the Cascade Mountains. An informal plan is one that omits the prescribed documentation required by a formal plan. A partial formal plan still qualifies as a formal plan except that it covers a smaller geographic area.

What follows is a summary of the third party plan submissions received by the Commission between June 19 and December 7, 2001:

Submission 1: Jim Curdy Plan (informal)
The Curdy plan was received June 19 at a public hearing in Ellensburg. Mr. Curdy submitted paper copies of a statewide map for nine congressional and two U.S. Senatorial districts.

Submission 2: Dennis Weber Plan (informal)
The Weber plan was received July 20 by United States mail. Mr. Weber submitted a paper copy of a graph/spreadsheet for 49 legislative districts (single plan).

Submission 3: Jack and Jacqui Walker Plan (informal)
The Walker plan was received August 27 by United States mail. The Walkers submitted a paper copy of a Yakima County GIS map for parts of legislative districts 13 and 14 (single plan).

Submission 4: Matt Hanbey Plan (informal)
Chairman, 25th District Democrats
The Hanbey plan was received August 31 by United States mail. Mr. Hanbey submitted a paper copy of a GIS map for legislative district 25 (single plan).

Submission 5: Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA) Plan (formal)
Yvonne Kinoshita Ward, First Vice Chair
To view the formal plan please visit http://www.capaa.wa.gov/redistricting.html
The CAPPA or Unity Redistricting Map was received September 18 by hand delivery. Ms. Ward submitted a CD of a single statewide plan for 49 legislative districts, including population reports in the PDF format. Ms. Ward submitted additional materials to the commissioners and staff on Oct. 1.

Submission 6: Shirley J. Brown Plan (informal)
The Brown plan was received October 25 by U.S. mail. Ms. Brown, chairperson, Kitsap County Republican Party, submitted a paper map for the central Kitsap County area, including parts of the 23rd, 26th and 35th legislative districts (single plan).

Submission 7: Yvonne Kinoshita Ward
Eastern Washington - Revisions to Submission No. Five of Sept. 18
The revised Eastern Washington plan was received October 31, 2001 by e-mail. Ms. Ward’s submission included a PDF map of Eastern Washington legislative district revisions, (including portions of Western Washington legislative districts) and a PDF population report for 11 Eastern Washington legislative districts. Ms. Ward’s e-mail was forwarded to commissioners on October 31.

Additional electronic files (shapefiles) for the Eastern Washington revisions were subsequently submitted to the Commission on the afternoon of October 31.

Submission 8: Matt Hanbey Plan
Revision to Submission No. Four of Aug. 31
Mr. Hanbey’s revision was hand-delivered to the Commission offices October 31. He submitted a paper copy of a map for legislative district 25 (single plan).

Submission 9: Nadine Shiroma Plan (informal)
Ms. Shiroma’s plan was received by fax December 7. She submitted a paper map of the 48th legislative district (single plan) with population totals by tract. A submission from Ms. Doreen Cato, featuring a "community of interest" map and tract population totals of the 48th legislative district (single plan), also were included.