Every 10 years, as populations change, lawmakers in most states draw up new district boundaries so that voters will have proportional and equitable opportunities for representation. But they don’t always achieve that goal. Redistricting fights are often extremely political, and can end up disenfranchising voters of color. Assigning the redistricting decisions to independent commissions, rather than lawmakers, is intended to address these challenges. In Washington state, it hasn’t always worked out that way. Marilyn Thompson has reported on Washington’s independent redistricting commission for ProPublica, and joins us to talk about what she’s found.
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