Page 31 - Flathead Beacon // 12.4.13

FLATHEADBEACON.COM OPINION DECEMBER 4, 2013 | 31

CLOSING RANGE Dave Skinner

Choking on Leftovers
Kalispell KiDDS

B
Y NOW, MOST OF US HAVE with federal requirements for districts
mowed through our leftovers, but with a majority of voting-age Indians.

a fair number of central Montan- Of the remaining 94 districts, 67
ans are still choking on theirs.
varied less than 1 percent from target
Whether or not you noticed, several size, airming Jellison’s repeated (and
years’ worth of squabble over re-dis- repeatedly rejected) assertions that a
tricting Montana’s state legislative seats “tolerance of 1 percent above or below
after the 2010 U.S. Census oicially end- the target population is certainly prac-
ed last February.
ticable in the work of this Commission.”
.
S
N
O
C
O
N
Unlike most states, which leave re- Upon this much-fairer basis of House I
T
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U

G
R
A
T
districting to shamelessly self-inter- apportionment, the commission then
ested legislatures, reapportionment in paired districts and appointed holdover
To the Winning Smiles for Montana is done by ive Montana citi- senators – the nuttiest part came when
zens, not currently elected oicials. The Flathead’s Bruce Tutvedt was initially
the Month of November, 2013
party leaders in each chamber of the appointed to represent a Rocky Moun-
Legislature pick four. The ifth, to be tain Front senate seat his inal two years.
chairman, is selected by the other four, That didn’t last. Chairman Regnier

Joseph Aaker Kamree Day Soren Hubble Avery McIlhargey Zavier Sharp or Montana’s Supreme Court if there’s a brokered a compromise bringing Tut-
Tyler Aaker Maddox Adamson Sierra Day Sydney Deardorff Kamron Hunter Troy Iverson Aaliyah McNeely Elijah McNeely Dakota Shepard Ty Sherrill deadlock (as happened for both the 2000 vedt back home, but state Sen. Llew
Nadalya Allegro- William Deardorff Jessie James Jr. Savannah Messenger Aubree Sherwood and 2010 processes).
Jones (R-Conrad) would need to sit out
Vanzant
Maya Demarais Trevin Jensen Lane Meyer Clara Shilling Then, the ive hold hearings, carve two years instead of being able to run
Jadon Anderson Nicolette Desch Alexandra Jepson Marley Miller
Beau Shulenburger out 100 new House districts, “pair” each again as expected in 2014.
Izabella Barlow Audrey Despain Arya Jepson Eric Mitchell Cameron Sistok two districts with a new Senate seat, and However, on its inal day, with no pri-
Kacie Barrett Juan Diaz Alcaraz Jacob Jepson Daniel Monforton Fisher Sliter assign mid-term “holdover” state sena- or public notice, the 2010 commission
Clairessa Barrow Keenan Dinelli Jeremiah Jepson Christopher Moore Zephyr Sliter
Jason Barrow Lauren Domke Haley Jochim Json Moore Elijah Smith tors to their new homes.
made more changes.
Kevin Barrow William Beardsley Luke Domke Bridger Donaldson Jordan Keeney John Wesley Keeton Dylan Morris Braden Nelson Ariel Stegura Ellen Stevens Is Montana way fairer? Ten years af- The last change, opposed by both Re-
Hannah Bechtel Colter Dowdy Josiah Kilman Tayvia Nelson
Audry Story ter he had served on the 2000 commis- publican appointees, re-seated Jones. To
Clarissa Becker McKenna Dunham Marcus Kilman Lily Newbury Benjamin Story sion, Dean Jellison (a staunch, moderate allow that, what is now Senate District
Natalie Bertram Xandre Eddy Noah Kilman Krista Newman Ethan Story Republican attorney) saw it to remind 15 in central Montana, covering Fergus
Jaden Beston Odin Erickson Samantha Kinniburgh Meeghan Nixon Hannah Story the members of the 2010 commission (Lewistown) and Wheatland (Harlow-
Briley Beyer
Arissa Fetveit Spencer Knapton Liam Notch Danika Sudan that his fellow commissioner Joe Lam- ton) counties, got Brad Hamlett.
Kyra Bigoness Rose Ford
Elijah Kowalowski Alexandria Oberholtzer Bridger Sunde son had “manipulated districts to en- Ordinarily, such would not be a big
Kayla Bigoness-Hunter Ely Fortier Chase Krieger Henry Oren
Rio Sweetin
Ella Billsborough Jacob Fortier Alohinani Kupihea- Lee Oscar Sidney Sweetin sure that Democrats were either elected deal. While the term-limited Hamlett is
Quintin Billsborough Joss Blackweasel Gabriel Foster Isabella Foster Wilcox Janelle Kysar Cassidy Otto Kyra Pakkala Harli Swigert Baylie Thompson or re-elected.”
a Democrat who doesn’t live in the new
Tyler Boultinghouse Juliet Franklin Braden LaPierre Mylie Pakkala Dylan Thompson In the 2000 proceedings, Lamson and heavily Republican SD-15, he’s re-
Brair Boyce Lacie Franklin Micah LaPierre Thor Pakkala Sydnie Thompson and the other two Democratic com- garded as a practical centrist.
Paxton Boyce Pyper Gallegos Farrah Laroque Sable Pevear Gavin Thurston missioners had stretched U.S. Supreme But in 2000, SD-15 also got a hold-
Payge Boyce Leroy Gervais Haylee Larson Danni Phillips Sabrina Thurston Court precedent that put a practical lim- over state senator who had “never ap-
Payton Boyce Logan Gibbons Piper Lee Kodi Jo Phillips Jasmine Todd it of district populations at plus or minus peared on a ballot in those counties:”
Payzlee Boyce Sage Gibbons Brady Lewellen Lillian Pipkey Megan Todd 5 percent of a state’s district average, or Jon Tester.
Teigen Braaten Kylor Gietzen Savannah Long Tracy Polly Shannen Todd
Jackie Briles Joshua Brooks Ryeleigh Glidden Aubree Golie Nahla Love Taurean Love Mackenzie Pomerante Morgan Pomerante Nathaniel Tressel Tessa Troyer “target,” population, packing Repub- Tester therefore could be Democrat-
Zandyr Brown Sierra Hall Logan Luke Jewel Postier Anna Uskoski licans into large districts while giving ic senate president his inal two years
Christopher Carlin Cheyenne Hammond Izabella Mahoney Billie Price Jada Uskoski Democrats lots of room. Both frustrat- in state oice, a good launch pad for his
Nevaeh Carlin Skyler Harding Keeley Mahoney Hazel Price Trace Uskoski ed Republican commissioners refused successful U.S. Senate run, a campaign
Madden Carrier Chandan Harper- Aydon Markham- Jasmine Pruitt Slayde Vanzant to sign the inal 2000 result, that left at to which retired justice Jim Regnier
Jazmyn Carter Donaldson Larson
Carl Quigg-Roy Tianna Victor least 50 of 100 districts over 4 percent contributed $1,000.
Chloe Christianson Annie Hartle Kaleb Mathiason Cazzland Rankosky Morgan Walker variation.
So for the second consecutive time,
Jack Christianson Oliver Hartle Tehlor Mathiason Copeland Rankosky Savana Walker
Andrew Converse Riley Havens Hunter Mayberry Ruby Ray Andrew Wallen Somehow, it’s not really surpris- after the legislative redistricting turkey
CaitlynConverse ChloeConverse PaigeHedeen NevaehHetrick Tobias McCabe Vincent McCabe ElsaReddig ChristianRensel IzzyWalter IzaakWalton ing that grateful Democratic legislators was carved up, most SD-15 voters (70
Clare Converse Alorna Hewitt Anjenoux McCann- Demye Rensel Kutter Ward again chose Mr. Lamson to represent percent) got the neck. In March, some
Rylee Coots Shiloh Hewitt Lachance McKenna Rensel Aaron Warren them for 2010’s redistricting cycle.
grumpy voters iled a lawsuit (Willems
Gianni Correa Dru Higgins Aurelia McCann- Emma Reynolds Marin Weaver The 2010 reapportionment pro- v. Montana). After months of ilings and
Parker Corrigan Lola Himsl Lachance Liam Ridenour Dawson Weibel gressed somewhat diferently. After the counter-ilings, the case inally got a
Evelyn Creighton Sophia Himsl Taven McCann- Myah Ridenour Sara Weibel
four legislative appointees deadlocked hearing before state judge Mike Mena-
Naemi Creighton Shelby Hoagland Lachance Starrling Rodler Alex Welch choosing a leader, the Montana Supreme han, a former Democratic legislator, in
Brayden Crofutt Tyler Hoagland Haven McCartney Lucas Rojas
Cheyenne Winterrowd
BrieanaDavidson ThomasHodgdon HunterMcCartney Fox Runningcrane BrysonWolfblack Court appointed retired justice Jim Helena on Nov. 8.
Ryan Davidson Shelby Davis
Ladahlia Hook Millie Hook Kalyn McCartney Kyler McCartney Audrey Ruonavaara Kolby Ruth Annalisia Wood Dayne Wood Regnier to preside. The full commission Legalities aside, it will be interesting
Jed Davison Chazz Hopper Kylie McCartney Mason Sanderson Jaylie Wymer then agreed from the start on a maxi- to see what Judge Menahan deems more
Kayla Davison
Ember Hubble
Drew McFarland
Adeline Schneider
Jordan Zarich
mum variance of 3 percent plus or minus important: making one state senator sit
for district populations.
out an election, or making thousands of
Only four of six Indian-majority voters sit out two of four elections?
House districts approached the 3 per-

cent limit (under), in order to comply

406.756.1142

Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on op-
posite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns
60 Four Mile Dr., Ste 10 • Kalispell, MT alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.

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