With the candidate filing deadline just a month and change away, the judge overseeing the legal battles over Alaska’s redistricting plan has shortened the window for new legal challenges in hopes to settle issues before then.
The Alaska Redistricting saga continued today as Judge Matthews heard competing arguments about what Judge Matthews really meant when he sent the board back to the table to fix its gerrymander. (Screenshot taken with court approval.)
The 12th seat will represent the North Anchorage assembly district, which was previously the downtown Anchorage assembly district and represented by a single member.
A new challenger appears.
The plan would keep Eagle River in control of two Senate districts while also lumping together several incumbents and a former Senate President together in a single senate district.
Legislators nixed nearly $500,000 to pay for a settlement after a federal judge found both Gov. Dunleavy and former chief of staff Tuckerman Babcock could be held personally responsible.
“Map 3B is absolutely ridiculous,” said Sen. Lora Reinbold.
The key difference between the two is how they treat Eagle River, which will have an impact on how the deeply conservative community is represented in the Legislature.
Surprise, the GOP-favored proposal would maintain the deeply conservative Eagle River’s hold onto the driver’s seat of two Senate districts by once again reaching over the Chugach Mountains.
Things are already off to a contentious start.