New legislative map splits Lewiston

BOISE — Idaho’s bipartisan citizen redistricting commission on Friday voted unanimously, 6-0, to adopt its new legislative district plan and voted 4-2, with two Democratic commissioners dissenting, to adopt a new congressional district plan dividing Idaho between the state’s two congressional districts.

The new legislative map splits Lewiston into two districts. Most of the city is in the northern part of District 7, which also includes all of Idaho and Adams counties. But a portion of the east Lewiston Orchards, along with the Cougar Ridge and Harvest Vista neighborhoods, are part of District 6, which also includes Lewis and Latah counties.

Clearwater County is now in District 2, which also includes Shoshone, Benewah and parts of Kootenai and Bonner counties.

The legislative district map, dubbed L03, can be seen at bit.ly/3ESIAgr.

The new congressional plan, dubbed C-3, continues Idaho’s longstanding practice of dividing Ada County between the state’s two congressional districts. If both plans withstand any court challenges, they’ll guide elections in Idaho for the next 10 years and will take effect beginning with the 2022 primary in May.

Commissioners Nels Mitchell and Dan Schmidt voted against the congressional plan, while commissioners Amber Pence, a Democrat, and Bart Davis, Eric Redman and Tom Dayley, all Republicans, voted in favor.

“I am pleased that we were able to reach a unanimous decision on the legislative plan, but there were honest disagreements on the congressional plan,” Davis said after the votes, “and that’s the reason we have a commission of six, is to allow us to think about it and challenge each other’s thinking and hopefully come to a resolution. I think that’s what we have today.”

Mitchell, who like Davis is an attorney, said with the congressional plan, “We have a difference of opinion as to the factors we should be considering under the statute.”

Idaho law includes a “mandatory provision against splitting counties,” Mitchell said, though Idaho’s not followed that in its congressional plans over the past five decades. “What we’ve done historically is we’ve divided Ada County and Boise,” he said. “With the legislative plan, we tried to avoid dividing cities.” He said that same approach should have been applied to the congressional district plan.

Under C-3, the dividing line through Ada County moves to the west, and runs along Highway 55, Eagle Road, Victory Road and I-84. As a result, nearly all of Boise — 231,932 of its 235,684 residents — would be in District 2, with just 3,752 Southwest Boise residents in the Lake Hazel Road area in District 1.

Mitchell said, “The legislative plan, I have full confidence it will stand up. I think we struck the correct balance with the factors in the statute as well as achieving equal representation between the districts.” But on the congressional plan, he said, “I have concerns if it were challenged.”

Schmidt, who co-chaired the citizen commission with Davis, said he voted against the congressional plan because “there is a statute on the books that says we’re not supposed to split counties if we don’t have to, and I don’t believe we had to. It’s there, and I think we should have honored it.”

He added, “Is it a good statute? I don’t think so. I think it’s stupid. The Legislature should clean that up.” He said that’s because it’s constitutionally questionable whether a state law can place such mandatory provisions on the divisions of congressional districts.

Practically, he said, “I don’t think a Democrat’s getting elected to Congress in this state no matter where you draw the lines.”

Schmidt, a former Democratic state senator from Moscow, and Davis, a former Republican state senator from Idaho Falls, co-chaired the citizen commission, which convened in September.

Mitchell said he thought the co-chairs “set a bipartisan tone for all of us” in the commission’s deliberations.

The new plan to divide Idaho into 35 legislative districts while taking account of the last 10 years of population shifts drew praise from all the commission members. “I think it’s a great plan, and I think the vote reflects that,” Schmidt said. “Now, does everybody love it? The answer to that is ‘no,’ and we’re hearing that. But I believe we did a great job.”

The redistricting process, by its nature, can spell political doom for sitting lawmakers when population shifts dictate that they land in new districts along with their colleagues, and they have to either face off in an election or yield to each other and leave office.

The vote on the commission’s final report, which includes the legal findings that accompany the new district maps, is set for next Wednesday, but Schmidt noted that could change if circumstances change. The panel has until Nov. 30 to complete its work.