The full Idaho Senate is considering sending to voters a Constitutional amendment to set the number of state legislative districts at 35 and number of lawmakers at 105. The Senate State Affairs Committee on Wednesday passed the plan along a 4-2 party-line vote following prior approval in the House. One senator and two representatives come from each district, which will be redrawn by a state commission next year after 2020 Census figures are finalized. Previous redistricting efforts have ended up in the courts over accusations of gerrymandering, and there’s concern among Republicans that any future redistricting fights could end with a judge mandating a reduction in the number of districts. Republican Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill says the Constitutional amendment is needed to prevent the court from ruling on the number of districts, given Idaho’s growing population. While it’s not clear whether fixing the number of districts at 35 would be an advantage for either Republicans or Democrats, Democrats say it’s premature to tinker with the Constitution. An effort last year by Republicans to add a seventh member to the Idaho Commission for Reapportionment failed after Democrats said it was a purely partisan attempt to give Republicans a majority. (AP)
