Washington Redistricting Commission

The Washington Redistricting Commission is a decennial body charged with redrawing congressional and legislative districts in the state of Washington after each census. On November 8, 1983, Washington state passed the 74th amendment to its constitution via Senate Joint Resolution 103 to establish the Redistricting Commission.^[1] Since after the 1990 Census, a committee of four appointees of the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate appoint a fifth member as non-voting chair, and meet to redistributes representative seats according to census results.^[2]

History

• 1956: League of Women Voters proposed 199 passes, linking redistribution to population trends. However, the resulting redistricting map was altered by the legislature.^[3]
• 1982: Senate Joint Resolution places Constitutional Amendment 74 on the ballot ^[4]
• 1983: Amendment 74 passes; 61.07% in favor, 38.93% in opposition ^[5]
• 1991: The first Redistricting Commission meets and creates a redistricting plan, including new 9th Congressional district
• 2001: The second Redistricting Commission meets and creates a redistricting plan
• 2011: The third Redistricting Commission meets and creates a redistricting plan, including new 10th Congressional district^[6]

Members

2011 Commission

• Senate Republican Appointee: Slade Gorton
• Senate Democratic Appointee: Tim Ceis
• House Republican Appointee: Tom Huff
• House Democratic Appointee: Dean Foster
• Non-voting Chair : Lura Powell

^[7]

References