Thursday, May 05, 2011

There go the neighborhoods


There will be some big changes in Minnesota politics if the legislative redistricting plan submitted by the House Committee on Redistricting is approved. For example, my House district 43B would neatly morph into HD35A, completely inside the Plymouth borders west of I-494, losing its swing district status along with its Minnetonka appendage, which is home to our current DFL state Sen. Terri Bonoff and DFL Representative John Benson. A new HD35B would comprise northeast Plymouth and eastern Maple Grove, centered around the I-94/I-394 interchange. Southeast Plymouth and Medicine Lake would join their New Hope and Golden Valley neighbors east of U.S. Highway 169 in a new HD36A.

The House Redistricting committee is chaired by third-term HD43A Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth). Interestingly, Anderson's unsuccessful 2010 challenger, Audrey Britton, is party to a lawsuit that will presumably send Anderson's redistricting plan to U.S. District Court for a final ruling, where past plans have often landed when the Legislature and governor failed to agree on a plan by the statutory deadline.