Boise (670 KBOI News) – A bill which would add another member to the state’s Commission on Reapportionment is headed back to committee, after being rejected by the full House of Representatives.
The Idaho Statesman is reporting the bill would be a Constitutional amendment, to add a seventh member to the Commission, if voters approve it.
The Commission currently has three Republican and three Democrat members. It’s job is to redraw legislative and congressional district lines after the Census is taken, every 10 years. Some Republicans say it’s needed to avoid court battles, like there were in 2011.
Democrats argued it was an attempt by Republicans to stack the deck against Democrats in a state that is overwhelmingly Republican. They also argued the bill didn’t have enough time for debate in the House State Affairs Committee, before being sent to the full House.
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle of Star made a motion to send the bill back to committee, and it was approved without objection.
