Redistricting can proceed for this year despite Court challenge

By Evan Smith

We’ll vote in the newly drawn 32nd and 46th legislative districts and the new 7th Congressional District now that the State Supreme Court has said that elections officials can proceed with the new districts despite a lawsuit.

The Supreme Court ordered a delayed hearing on the legality of the plan submitted by the State Redistricting Commission and ordered that this year's elections proceed under the Commission's plan.

The Court agreed last week with elections officials who had argued that they needed the certainty of the commission’s plan in time to conduct candidate filing May 14-18. Chief Justice Barbara Madsen wrote that the court couldn’t reach a decision in time.

Opponents of the plan say that it unnecessarily divides Edmonds, Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace and many other cities around the state between two or more legislative or congressional districts, and that it has many districts, like the 32nd unnecessarily crossing county lines.

Opponents also say that some districts unnecessarily favor incumbents and that the Court easily could have ruled before the filing period.

The Court’s ruling means that Shoreline voters will vote in the new 32nd Legislative District along with Lynnwood, Woodway, south Edmonds and part of northwest Seattle, that Lake Forest Park and Kenmore will vote in the 46th Legislative District along with northeast Seattle, and that both Shoreline and Lake Forest Park will vote in the 7th Congressional District along with Edmonds, Woodway and most of Seattle.

The Court still could rule that the redistricting scheme is illegal, meaning new districts for the 2014 election.