Dan Stusek News Today

MT GOP will not mount a legal challenge to the redistricting plan adopted by the state’s Districting and Apportionment Commission earlier this year.

Republican lawmakers have advanced a proposal to reshape Montana’s independent redistricting commission in a way they say will remove the politics from the process.

Lawmakers have proposed over a dozen amendments during the legislative session thus far. It takes 100 votes from both chambers to send an amendment to be considered by the voters. 

Every 10 years the federal government reports new population figures for Montana communities, and every 10 years Montana’s Districting and Apportionment Commission uses those figures to create new House and

Montana’s commission in charge of drawing new political districts has adopted final maps that will be in place for the next decade. Democrats’ map won on a tie-breaking vote.

Montana’s commission in charge of drawing new political districts has adopted final maps that will be in place for the next decade. Democrats’ map won on a tie-breaking vote.

Redistricting Commission Chair Maylinn Smith broke with Democrats to pass Montana’s legislative map on Saturday, marking the end of over three years of work from the commission.

Redistricting Commission Chair Maylinn Smith broke with Democrats to pass Montana’s legislative map on Saturday, marking the end of over three years of work from the commission.

On a 3-2 vote Saturday, the commission finalized new House and Senate maps that will help guide the partisan balance of the state Legislature for the next decade.

The commission voted 3-2 last week to submit the proposed House and Senate district maps to the Legislature for comment, with the nonpartisan chair and Democratic members in favor and Republican members in opposition.