Republicans push for bipartisan commission to redraw WA Latino district
Republican and Democratic political leaders in Central Washington — and statewide — disagree on next steps in response to a federal court order demanding new political boundary maps be drawn to ensure a Latino voter majority legislative district that also meets federal voting rights laws.
Maia Espinoza, executive director of The Center for Latino Leadership, believes Gov. Jay Inslee should call a special session of the Washington Legislature so lawmakers can reconvene the State Redistricting Commission to draw a new map for the 15th Legislative District.
But Democratic leaders in the Legislature and the Latino Democratic Caucus want to let the court decide on the new maps, with input from the people and organizations who brought the lawsuit challenging the maps drawn by the Redistricting Commission. In earlier comments, Democrats expressed doubts that the reconstituted bipartisan Commission could do a better job this time around.
“Governor Inslee, you should call a special session and get this Commission back on track to do its job,” Espinoza said at a news conference late last week. She ran as a Republican in the 28th Legislative District in 2018 and for state Superintendent of Public Instruction, a nonpartisan position, in 2020.
https://crosscut.com/politics/2023/10/republicans-push-bipartisan-commission-redraw-wa-latino-district
