Minnesota Report
The reality is, if the state legislature acts and the Governor Tim Walz (DFL-MN) signs, a redistricting plan goes into effect. At this time, the legislature is at odds over what plans it will put forward. Because of the partisan divide, the House DFL Majority has put forward its redistricting plans Murphy Congressional Plan Map and Murphy Congressional Plan Map and Murphy Legislative Plan Map claiming it to be fair, except it’s view as totally partisan and the Republican House Minority in turn has advanced its own plans Torkelson Congressional Plan Map and Torkelson Legislative Plan Map which are just as partisan in the opposite direction. So far, the Senate is silent on the question and has offered up nothing at all.
Unless the legislative bodies and the governor agree, then it will be left to the 5-Judge Court Panel. There are a series of plans have been submitted by the plaintiffs and they are: Wattson Congressional Plan and Wattson Legislative Plan (The original Plaintiffs), and Anderson Congressional Plan and the Anderson Legislative Plan (The Plaintiff-Intervenors aka The Republicans) Sachs Congressional Plan and Sachs Legislative Plan (The DFL Plaintiffs), Corrie Congressional Plan and Corrie Legislative Plan (The Plaintiff-Intervenors aka BIPOC Community Interests).
Now, as the headline reads and a view of the Wattson Congressional and the Anderson Congressional Plans, you should see the two are fairly similar and some will argue the Anderson Plan might even be better. If this is the case, we contend if the legislature wanted to prove it had any bi-partisan tendencies and wanted to prove to the public that the two sides can reach a viable compromise, then The House and Senate should draft a bill based on the Anderson Plan and have it pass both bodies and presented to the governor for signature, our state could have the first Congressional Redistricting Plan passed by the legislature and not decided by the courts in 60-years. This would be a stellar accomplishment.
Now, the legislative redistricting map is a different issue entirely. Since it’s the legislature would need to decide, each and every member will view and proposed map through their own lens and with their own perspective. This myopic view is why, with a partisan divided legislature we expect the court will again decide.