||| FROM KEARA AXELROD and MICHELE RODRIGUEZ |||
Washington state has a four-person commission charged with redistricting Washington’s legislative districts in light of the population information recorded in the 2020 census.
The Commission recently released proposals for state-level Legislative Redistricting. Two of the four proposals include significant changes to our 40th Legislative District.
The proposed changes include putting San Juan County in the same district as Whidbey Island.
What you can do:
Ask the redistricting commission to leave east Whatcom in the 42nd and keep San Juan County and Anacortes in the 40th. Make changes to the edges as needed to balance the districts.
- Sign up to speak during the meeting that starts 7pm THIS TUESDAY, October 5: https://leg-wa-gov.zoom.
us/webinar/register/WN_FV_ o8ujUStWS-yx9nZkdwA - Submit written or recorded comments: https://www.
redistricting.wa.gov/submit- public-testimony - If you have time, comment directly on these two maps.
Our main concerns:
- It is very likely that all of our current representatives, whom San Juan County voted to represent us, would no longer represent us in the 40th.
- This means losing:
- Debra Lekanoff, the only Native person in Washington State Legislature,
- Senator Liz Lovelett, who now heads the Ferry Caucus, and
- Representative Alex Ramel, a progressive and environmental champion.
- There was no consultation by the Commission with the tribes that call the 40th LD home. Under the proposed plans many of the lands used by the tribes, particularly the Nooksack tribe, would be split between two different legislative districts.
- The voices of historically underrepresented Latino/Latinx communities in Mount Vernon would be separated into two different districts, further diluting their political voice. This is a serious problem for this marginalized community and at odds with the stated intentions of the commissioners.
- Combining the San Juan Islands with the growler base on Whidbey Island means the interests of San Juan County, particularly environmental concerns, would likely be tempered (or plain overridden) by the military concerns that take front stage on Whidbey.
- The proposed redistricting would reduce from six to three the legislators who will focus on improving the ferry service to and from San Juan County. This would mean even less attention to our urgent ferry needs.
