Lawmakers should reconvene redistricting commission, not shirk their responsibility | Opinion

Voters in the majority-Hispanic 15th Legislative District did something historic this past November by electing a Latina to the state Senate.

The 15th District spans the lower Yakima Valley, with Yakima, Othello and Pasco on its perimeter. New boundaries effective in 2022 made the district even more majority-Hispanic than before. By a 2-to-1 margin, its voters chose former Pasco city councilor Nikki Torres, making her the first Hispanic and the first woman to serve as their senator.

Sen. Torres was clearly the candidate of choice in a district where the population was 73% Hispanic. Also, 15th District voters didn’t just elect a Latina; they chose a Latina over a white woman.

Even so, recent rulings in two federal lawsuits have basically invalidated the 15th District boundaries. Considering a new map is needed by next Jan. 8, legislators should respond by immediately calling themselves into session and reconvening the state’s independent Redistricting Commission. Instead, majority Democrats intend to hand the job to a court, which abdicates our constitutional duty and prevents public input.

Between the lawsuits and Democrat intransigence, this is the biggest threat to Washington’s redistricting process since a 1983 constitutional amendment relieved the Legislature of boundary-setting responsibilities.

The redistricting commission, created anew after each federal census, has five members: four commissioners, each appointed by one of the legislative caucus leaders, plus a non-voting chair they choose. Each commissioner offers a plan, based on census results plus our constitution’s population and boundary guidance, then the give-and-take begins.

A plan isn’t final unless at least three commissioners support it, which elegantly ensures bipartisan agreement. If commissioners miss their constitutional deadline, however, redistricting responsibility shifts to the state Supreme Court.

The court hadn’t become involved until 2021, after — to quote The Washington Observer — the commissioner appointed by my Senate Democratic counterpart “repeatedly gummed up the end-game negotiations with last-minute demands and gambits,” running out the clock as a “gamble on getting a somewhat better map for Democrats” from the court.

The commission chair, unsure all required actions were handled in time, asked the justices to take over. They quickly declined, declaring the commission had complied with its constitutional obligation.

The game-playing didn’t end there. When the lawsuits came two months later, the Democrat-appointed commissioners effectively blocked the full commission from defending its map. The Seattle Times equated that with “despicable sabotage” of the redistricting commission. This past week the Legislature’s top Democrats doubled down, deciding not to let commissioners make the necessary adjustments themselves.

Republicans have represented the 15th District for 80 years. That must horrify Democrats who take Hispanic support for granted and can’t believe many Hispanics in Washington would prefer a Republican who prioritizes public safety, controlling the cost of living and equitable K-12 education.

The Democratic answer, it seems, is to get a court – any court – to enable a gerrymandered map that provides a partisan advantage. When any one person gets to redraw the lines, the result is automatically subjective rather than bipartisan. It’s an outrageous move that shows a complete disrespect for state law.To be clear, the process is not broken. In fact, one judge commended the commissioners, particularly their commitment to the constitutional requirement that a redistricting plan “not be drawn purposely to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.” Beyond reconvening the commission, I’m willing to discuss policy tweaks aimed only at thwarting future efforts to game the redistricting process.

The Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, filer of the first lawsuit, arrogantly claimed the favorable ruling means the Yakima Valley’s Hispanic voters “can now elect state legislators who will best serve them.”

The Yakima Valley’s Hispanic voters already chose the person who will best serve them. Senator Torres is thoughtful, tough-minded when she needs to be, and extraordinarily hard-working. I’m proud to have her in the Senate and in the Republican caucus.

This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Lawmakers should reconvene redistricting commission, not shirk their responsibility | Opinion."