[Vision2020] 11-26-21: Idaho Supreme Court Consolidates Redistricting Map Lawsuits

[Ted Moffett]

Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett

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https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho/articles/2021-11-26/idaho-supreme-court-consolidates-redistricting-map-lawsuits

By KEITH RIDLER, Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two lawsuits filed against Idaho
<https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/idaho>’s redistricting commission
over a new map redrawing the state’s 35 legislative districts have been
consolidated into one lawsuit.

The Idaho Supreme Court in an order dated Tuesday said it granted the
commission’s request to combine the lawsuits. The two lawsuits each argue
that the map is unconstitutional because it splits up more counties than
necessary. The court said neither party filing the lawsuits objected to
combining them.

The six-person redistricting commission earlier this month approved the map
redrawing Idaho’s 35 legislative districts from which voters will select
the state’s 105 lawmakers over the next 10 years.

Former lawmaker Brandon Durst filed his lawsuit the same week the
commission approved the map. Ada County Commissioners filed their lawsuit
last week.

The court ordered that Durst and Ada County Commissioners file their
opening briefs no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, and that the redistricting
commission respond by 5 p.m. on Dec. 16. Oral arguments are planned for
January.

The new legislative districts will be used for elections next year,
including Republican and Democratic primaries on May 17, and then the
general election in November.

The commission was tasked with redrawing the districts based on the
population as counted in the 2020 census. Idaho has been one of the
fastest-growing states in the nation. Commissioners during multiple
meetings examined where the growth occurred and said they tried to create
districts roughly equal in population, with about 52,000 residents each.

The commission is required to map new legislative districts that do not
have more than a 10% population variance, and they are supposed to avoid
dividing counties into multiple districts as much as possible. Still, there
is no way to avoid splitting some of Idaho's 44 counties into different
districts.

The map the redistricting commission settled on splits eight counties,
including Ada County.

On the map, three portions of Ada County were split and each portion was
joined with either Gem, Canyon or Owyhee County. Other highly populated
counties were also split, including Kootenai and Canyon counties.

Ada County Commissioners want the Idaho Supreme Court to order the
redistricting commission to revise the map to reduce the number of splits.

“This parsing out of Ada County to achieve an ideal district size is
constitutionally prohibited,” the commissioners wrote in their complaint.

Durst — who is running for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction as a
Republican — filed his lawsuit over the way some of the counties are
divided. He wants the Idaho Supreme Court to order the commission to use a
different map or come up with a new one.

Redistricting lawsuits are common, with at least 10 cases filed over the
last four redistricting attempts dating back to 1981.
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