Public Hearing on Redistricting
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
Public Hearing on Redistricting Nancy Marks Now it appears likely that all of Broadwater County will be contained in a single state House Legislative District for the next 10 years.
Last Thursday, Dec. 1, after four days of partisan haggling, Montana’s five-member redistricting commission adopted a tentative state map that places all of Broadwater into a district that would also contain a sliver of adjoining Gallatin County. It would also include the Gallatin County towns of Logan and Manhattan, but not Three Forks.
The Districting and Apportionment Commission will hold a public hearing on the map at 9 a.m. this Saturday, Dec. 10, in Room 102 of the Capitol in Helena. People who intend to offer public comments remotely via Zoom need to submit a request by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, to receive the login information. Visit mtredistricting.gov for complete information.
Adoption of the map came when MayLinn Smith, the commission chair, broke a tie by voting in favor of the map proposed by the commission’s two Democrats. Smith, who is a professional mediator, emphasized that the map is only tentative. She said she expects robust discussion at Saturday’s public hearing. She also expressed the opinion that the two sides are much closer together than they believe.
The commission will meet again on Dec. 15 and Dec. 21. It is to submit its plan to the Legislature within 10 days after the legislative session begins on Jan. 2. After the Legislature submits recommendations, the commission will once again accept public comments.
Smith was appointed to the commission, as chair, by the Montana Supreme Court. Its other members, Republicans Jeff Essman and Dan Stusek, and Democrats Kendra Miller and Denise Juneau, were appointed by legislative leaders.
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