OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke signed a measure today that retroactively changes the deadline for submitting a final map of Washington’s congressional and legislative districts. The law clears the way for the 2002 election boundaries to become effective on Feb. 12, the final date by which the Legislature can make minor amendments to the plan.

Locke called the redistricting plan a good proposal that continues to maintain competitive congressional and legislative districts. Retroactively changing the redistricting timeline is a defensible and legally sound way to resolve the issue of the Redistricting Commission’s late submission of a plan, he said.

“This legislation is necessary to correct the problem that while Commission met its constitutional deadline of Jan. 1, it missed the statutory deadline,” Locke said. “What the commission did was a very good piece of work …(it) complied with the spirit and the requirements of our state constitution, and so there’s no reason to have this revised and reopened and completely redone.”

Last month, the four voting commissioners of the bipartisan panel unanimously adopted a legislative and congressional district plan after the statutory deadline of Dec. 15, but within the constitutional deadline of Jan. 1. Senate Bill 6296 amended the statute so that the plan’s date of submission coincides with the Jan. 1 due date. The legislation came at the request of Attorney General Christine Gregoire and members of the redistricting commission.

Commissioners John Giese and Dean Foster attended Tuesday’s bill signing along side Sen. Sid Snyder, one of the co-sponsor’s of the measure. U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, who helped shepherd the congressional plan through stalemated negotiations, also was on hand. After the commission missed the Dec. 15 deadline, Dicks and U.S. Rep. Jennifer Dunn urged the commissioners to continue their talks.

At the bill signing, Foster joked: “It’s hard not to pass a plan, when you have Norm Dicks calling you everyday.”

Giese extended heartfelt thanks to Gregoire and her staff for their prompt response, and for the Legislature’s swift action in passing the bill. In addition to Snyder, other sponsors of the measure were Senators Jim West, Jim Horn, Tim Sheldon and Don Carlson.

At the end of the bill signing, the attending commissioners and Locke entertained reporters’ questions. The Governor was asked what he thought of the commission approach to redrawing electoral boundaries. Until 1980, redistricting was accomplished by legislative action. Then, in 1983, voters approved a constitutional amendment that created the independent, bipartisan commission.

“Redistricting is very, very difficult…and the way the commission approached it, I think, is a win-win for the people of the state of Washington,”Locke said. “I very much endorse (the commission approach) and think other states should adopt this same procedure.”

Redistricting by commission, Locke added, avoids some of the blatant gerrymandering that occurs in many other states where partisans work hard to carve out districts specifically for incumbents.

(Archived news releases can be found by clicking Archives in the menu bar above.)