Press Release
	Contact: Filiz Satir, Director of Communications (360) 586-9000 Ethan Moreno, Executive Director (360) 586-9000
	FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 5, 2001
	(NR01-01)
	Redistricting Commission holds public hearing in Olympia
	OLYMPIA — The Washington State Redistricting Commission will hold the third of 16 statewide hearings in Olympia, Thursday. The bipartisan commission, that convenes an administrative meeting earlier in the day, is encouraging the public to attend the Capitol Campus meeting to share their views on the redrawing of the 2002 congressional and legislative district boundaries. Washington is one of only a handful of states that involves the public in the redistricting process. “We look forward to bringing the redistricting process to Olympia,” said Chairman Graham Johnson of the Washington State Redistricting Commission. “There is something special about conducting the state’s redistricting business in an environment so rich with political heritage.” Every 10 years, officials throughout the nation use census data to reshape the political landscape by realigning district boundaries. The United States and state constitutions require Washington to redraw congressional and legislative boundaries. Most states redistrict by legislative action, but Washington is one of more than a dozen states that assigns the exercise to either a commission or a board. In neighboring Oregon, the Legislature takes the lead in redrawing boundaries. Other northwest states, namely Alaska and Idaho, realign districts by commission. The redistricting commission and the process in Montana resemble Washington’s: The four caucus leaders in the Legislature select four voting members; the two Democratic and two Republican commissioners select a non-voting chairperson. Once the commission approves a plan, the Legislature cannot reject it, and the Governor may not use his veto power. Until 1981, the Washington State Legislature redrew the political boundaries for both legislative and congressional districts in an often highly contentious process. Then, in 1983, Washington voters approved an initiative creating an independent redistricting commission. The four voting commissioners are Richard Derham (R), Dean R. Foster (D), John Giese (R), and Bobbi Krebs-McMullen (D). The Redistricting Commission is in the midst of analyzing specific population data to ensure that each district contains approximately an equal number of people. Since 1990, Washington grew by 1 million people or 21 percent, outpacing the nation’s 13 percent growth. Our 5.9 million residents mean that political boundaries must be drawn to hold about 120,288 people in each legislative district and about 654,902 people in each congressional district. “By creating political districts with near equal numbers of people, we’re striving to ensure that every person’s vote holds the same power,” said Commissioner Bobbi Krebs-McMullen, the Senate Democratic appointee. “But that’s only one important piece of making the process fair; the other piece is the very fact that we have four voting commissioners, two from each party.” Redistricting is not just about making a couple of minor boundary changes in one district and calling it good. The commissioners pay attention to each district, but never lose sight of how each of the nine congressional and 49 legislative pieces fit together. “Right now, redistricting is a puzzle that we’re attempting to build, but at some point it will start to look like a game of dominoes,” said Commissioner John Giese, House Republican appointee. “Redrawing the political boundaries in any one district in the region can quickly result in a domino effect for other districts.” “We don’t know what the map will look like, but we do know that that the most informed and fair redistricting plans will be made if we have the benefit of hearing from people in every part of the state,” Commissioner Giese said. (Archived news releases can be found by clicking Archives in the menu bar above.)