GOP Redistricting Commissioner Lorna Finman was wistful after the commission adjourned without meeting its 5 p.m. deadline today to adopt new legislative and congressional districts lines. "I think we were actually pretty close," she said. "We were just a district and a few precincts away…
The hour has arrived, and Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission has missed its deadline to come up with new legislative and congressional district maps, forcing the issue into the courts. Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa said he's ready to sue first thing Wednesday morning,…
It's now within 10 minutes of the redistricting commission's deadline, and though various additional plans have been introduced, there's been no movement toward a settlement. Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst is in the room, awaiting the outcome - if there's no plan adopted by…
Redistricting Commissioner Lorna Finman is introducing several new legislative district plans, including a couple of variations on earlier Republican plans, plus a new one, L-78, that she described as "our Hail Mary attempt here at the last minute." L-78 incorporates the North Idaho compromise that…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission has now taken what members say will be their "final recess," until 3:30. GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito said Republican commissioners are "in the process ... of bringing down a map" to incorporate the North Idaho compromise with discussions on eastern Idaho…
Redistricting Commissioner Lorna Finman moved to approve L-71, the North Idaho compromise she negotiated with Commissioner Julie Kane. But though Kane said, "I think we do have an agreement on that area," she said, "I think our position all along has been that we don't…
It took a bit to sort out the data, but here's the effect on incumbents of L-71, the North Idaho compromise plan for legislative districts 1-7: Sens. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, and Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, would end up in the same district, forcing a face-off in…
Redistricting Commissioners Evan Frasure and Allen Andersen have been going back and forth, with Frasure maintaining they're just two precincts apart on solving eastern Idaho legislative district lines - and offering to let Andersen pick the two. "We can work that into a statewide map…
GOP redistricting Commissioner Lorna Finman jumped into the back-and-forth over eastern Idaho, which was getting hot between GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito and Democratic Commissioner Allen Andersen, "since I was involved as the intermediary in that area." She said, "Another day or half-day we would have…
Democratic Commissioner Julie Kane moved to approve a new legislative district plan combining L-71, the North Idaho compromise, with L-60 for the rest of the state, an earlier Democratic proposal, and Democratic Commissioner Allen Andersen seconded the motion. GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito said, "I think…
Democratic Commissioner George Moses has presented L-72, a partial legislative district plan for Ada County that he says reflects a good-faith effort by Democrats to comply with the Republican request not to pair downtown Boise with Eagle. GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito responded, "Unfortunately we have…
Redistricting commissioners are back at work, and first up was a complaint from Democratic Co-Chairman Allen Andersen, about GOP Co-Chairman Evan Frasure gaveling down Democratic Commissioner George Moses before the break rather than allowing him to propose another map before the recess. "I'd like to…
Here's a look at the North Idaho legislative district map, L-71, submitted today by GOP Commissioner Lorna Finman of Rathdrum and Democratic Commissioner Julie Kane of Lapwai. It puts Boundary County and the majority of Bonner County, including the entire Clark Fork area, into District…
Redistricting Commissioners Julie Kane and Lorna Finman have presented their compromise plan for legislative districts in North Idaho, for Districts 1-7; it's been submitted as partial legislative plan L-71. "We 've eliminated that contentious backwards C," Finman said. "We've been able to retain Clark Fork…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission is back in session now; it's going through an update on its budget, which is in order. Here, GOP commissioners, from left, Lou Esposito, Lorna Finman and Evan Frasure confer.
Federal authorities say jurisdictional gaps are hampering law enforcement in Indian country, so they're working with three Idaho tribes, including the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, to federalize tribal police officers and let them issue federal citations to non-Indians on the reservation for certain minor offenses. Once…
The citizen redistricting commission convened this morning, took care of some brief business, and then went at recess until 11 a.m. "The negotiations are continuing," said GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito. "We're still, we're making progress. Commissioner Finman and Commisioner Kane continue to do their great…
Idaho's redistricting commission is scheduled to start meeting shortly this morning; it's facing a drop-dead deadline of 5 p.m. today to submit legislative and congressional district plans to the Secretary of State. Despite working through the holiday weekend - including Sunday and Labor Day -…
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