[Vision2020] Legislative report, week 2

[Art Deco]

These two are really disgusting.  Semanko, for example, acts as a lobbyist
even though he is the party chairperson of the majority party -- a clear
conflict.

w.

On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 3:16 PM, Shirley Ringo <ringoshirl at moscow.com>wrote:

> **
> Visionaries
>
>
> Legislative Report, week 2
>
> Extreme, over-the-top, partisanship.  That describes the action of
> Republican leaders regarding legislative redistricting.
>
> The new population count obtained from the US census requires that state
> legislative districts be redrawn to achieve relative equal numbers in each
> district.  In 1994, Idaho citizens directed that this task be
> accomplished by a bi-partisan commission.  Clearly, it is not desirable
> to give this assignment to sitting legislators.  There would be grave
> danger that lines would be drawn to protect politicians.  Gerrymandering.
>
> In response to the 1994 initiative, Idaho now has a bi-partisan
> redistricting committee consisting of three Republicans and three Democrats.
> The members of the first commission were unable to reach agreement within
> the allotted time period.  So, a second commission was appointed.  For
> the Republicans, House Speaker Lawerence Denney appointed Dolores Crow,
> Senate Pro Tem Brent Hill appointed Sheila Olsen, and Republican Party
> Chair Norm Semanko appointed Randy Hansen.  For the Democrats, House
> Minority Leader John Rusche appointed Shauneen Grange, Senate Minority
> Leader Edgar Malepeai appointed Elmer Martinez, and Democrat Party Chair
> Larry Grant appointed Ron Beitelspacher.
>
> The members of the second commission approached the problem of redrawing
> district lines exactly as Idaho citizens envisioned.  Without regard to
> the interests of sitting legislators, and without partisanship, they
> followed the Idaho Constitution as closely as possible.  This commission
> reached a solution upon which its members agreed unanimously.
>
> Subsequently, their plan was challenged in the court and overturned.  The
> second commission, which approved the plan, must now make adjustments in an
> attempt to satisfy the court.
>
> There should be no controversy – we await the new plan.
>
> Not so fast.  Lawerence Denney and Norm Semanko take center stage.  These
> two politicians have announced their plan to fire Dolores Crow and Randy
> Hansen from the Commission – at least in part because they think these
> commissioners failed to help their party enough.  In other words, these
> politicians, Denney and Semanko, are going to remove two members they
> appointed to a bi-partisan commission for the crime of not having been
> sufficiently partisan.
>
> To their credit, Crow and Hansen refuse to leave.  Idaho’s Attorney
> General has ruled they can’t be fired.  Idaho’s Secretary of State
> refuses to declare vacancies on the commission.  But Denney and Semanko
> have shopped for and found a lawyer to support their cause.  Denney and
> Semanko have now filed a petition in the Idaho Supreme Court to immediately
> order Secretary of State Ben Ysursa to declare two vacancies on the Idaho
> citizens’ redistricting commission.
>
> Meanwhile, the filing deadline for the primary election looms.  Idahoans
> are held hostage by insensitive leaders who seem incapable of responding
> appropriately. The people spoke in 1994 – they do not want legislative
> districts to give an edge to any political party.  Denney and Semanko
> should let the process work.
>
> Representative Shirley Ringo
>
>
>
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-- 
Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
art.deco.studios at gmail.com
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