HELENA – Party leaders have made their appointments to the commission that will redraw Montana’s political districts, the first step in a once-a-decade process that has often provoked accusations of gerrymandering.
Republicans have chosen Linda Vaughey, a former commissioner of political practices, and Jon Bennion, a Clancy attorney. Democrats have tapped Missoula attorney Pat Smith and Joe Lamson, deputy director of the Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Under the Montana Constitution, House and Senate party leadership are charged with making the appointments.
Redistricting has led to bitter partisan battles and lawsuits in the past, but the new commissioners are promising to work together to create fair district borders that reflect new census population numbers.
Their first step will be to choose within the next 20 days a fifth member of the commission to serve as chairman.
“If we are able to agree on a fifth member, that really sets the tone for compromise and nonpartisanship,” Bennion said.
The commission has been unable to agree on a tie-breaking chairman in three of the last four redistricting efforts, forcing the state Supreme Court to make the appointment.
Early differences were evident among the party leaders making the appointments, with Republicans calling for public involvement in the choice of commissioners and Democrats warning against popularity contests.
Republicans announced four candidates before settling on their two appointments and set up an e-mail for public comment. Democrats decided not to do the same.
“I don’t believe that the redistricting commission should ever be a popularity contest where you put a name out and see how many hits you get,” said House Majority Leader Margarett Campbell, D-Poplar.
But her appointee to the commission, Lamson, said he’s open to the Republican idea of soliciting public input about who should serve as commission chairman.
“It will be interesting to see what names come forward,” he said.
Lamson served on the commission during the last redistricting effort in 2000. Republicans charged that he played a key role in masterminding a plan that cost them control of the Legislature in 2004.
Where plans come from for carving new district borders is likely to emerge as a battle point this go-round, too.
“I think we should use Legislative Services, which has been the traditional route to craft plans,” Bennion said. “I’m not sure the last time people were able to see how these plans were crafted.”
Legislative Services usually develops three or four different redistricting plans after talking with county clerks and others to find out their concerns. But since technology has made balancing the voting-age population of districts a simpler process, plans can also be created by others.