Alaska redistricting

“With All Due Respect”: The firing of the Alaska Permanent Fund’s executive director is all about Gov. Dunleavy’s push to overdraw the fund to pay a super-sized dividend.

Also on “With All Due Respect”: Alaska’s public schools are in crisis. And why hasn’t Amy Demboski been fired?

Also on “With All Due Respect”: Gov. Dunleavy campaigns on the public dime.

“With All Due Respect”: Gov. Dunleavy tells the court to send the bill to you and fiddles with deer while the economy burns.

A fast-growing area north of Anchorage known as a hotbed of conservatism gained the most population since the 2010 Census and will keep the same number of seats in the Alaska Legislature under a new map of state political boundaries that some critics say short-changes the area.

Senate pairings introduced late in redistricting process add a new Eagle River seat by dipping into Muldoon and downtown. The new map appears headed to a court challenge.

The Republican majority on the board jammed through a Senate map unsupported by the record and the constitution.

“With All Due Respect”: If the new maps stand — and they’re sure to be challenged in court — an Eagle River senator will represent a portion of downtown Anchorage. It reeks of political desperation and the chairman of the board, John Binkley, should know better.

One board member said the plan would leave open the board to “an unfortunate and very easily winnable argument of partisan gerrymandering.”

The state’s five-member redistricting board has picked House district lines. Senate districts will be decided this week.

Six possible legislative maps have been proposed, and one must be approved by Nov. 10.

To call the board’s maps nonpartisan is to avoid the obvious effort to shield House Minority Republicans.

Alaska’s redistricting board is meeting in Anchorage, but state courts are likely to decide the outcome.

Members of the public can submit their own ideas through Friday. The board is planning weeks of public testimony sessions across the state to take feedback.

Preliminary maps will be published by mid-September for public review.

Melanie Bahnke also serves on the board of the Alaska Federation of Natives.

The former legislator and GOP candidate for governor was selected by Senate President Cathy Giessel, R-Anchorage.

Final decisions about where district lines are drawn will be made by a separate redistricting board authorized by the Alaska Constitution.