Redistricting creates tenth congressional district, Hastings to serve Adams County

 

Last updated 1/12/2012 at Noon

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. This map shows the proposed area that will become part of Congressional District No. 4. Map courtesy of the 2011 Washington State Redistricting Commission.

The four voting members of the Washington State Redistricting Commission unanimously approved the final version of the Washington State Redistricting Plan on Sunday, Jan. 1. The Legislature received the final, published plan and report on Jan. 9.

The main change to the proposed map will change the political boundaries and add a new congressional district, creating 10 congressional districts in Washington. According to the new proposed map, Adams County will now become part of District 4 where Republican Richard N. “Doc” Hastings is the representative.

Washington is adding its tenth seat in the House due to the 800,000 new residents the state gained in the past decade. The new redistricting boundaries were decided by four members; two Democrats, Tim Ceis and Dean Foster, and two Republicans, Slade Gorton and Tom Huff. The Commissioners also appointed a fifth, non-voting, non-partisan chairperson; this year it was Lura Powell.

Redistricting occurs every 10 years following the census. The 2010 census announced the official state population to be just over 6.7 million people.

Redistricting is used to make sure that population divides every congressional district as equally as possible.

The target population for each district is 672,454 and every district varies slightly around this number, but all within 10 people from that goal. District 4, which includes the counties of Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, Adams, Franklin, Benton, Yakima and part of Walla Walla county only deviates two from the target population.

A goal for the new redistricting boundaries was to create a congressional district where, for the first time in Washington history, ethnic minorities such as Latinos, Asian Americans and African Americans would be the majority in the population.

The Legislature now has 30 days to review the plan beginning the first day of the 2012 Regular Session and make the changes deemed necessary. The Legislature cannot make changes that affect more than two percent of the population in any district and those changes must be approved by a two-thirds vote of both houses.

After the 30-day review period, the final plan will pass with or without Legislative action. The final plan will create a map with the ten congressional and 49 legislative districts that will be used for the next ten years.

In 1983, Washington voters established the Washington State Redistricting Commission to ensure that voting boundaries would be recognized through a fair and bipartisan process.

The map and final plan will be posted on the Washington State Redistricting Commission’s website, http://www.redistricting.wa.gov, after the review session. The proposed plan and map are currently posted on the website for public review.

For any questions or comments concerning the new redistricting boundaries, call (360) 786-0770 or email the Commission at [email protected].

 

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