Alaska News

Alaska Redistricting Board asks state Supreme Court to reconsider ruling

The Alaska Redistricting Board wants the state Supreme Court to reconsider a recent decision to redraw the state's political boundaries, according to The Associated Press (via the Juneau Empire).

In a petition filed this week, attorneys representing the board claim the court overlooked or misunderstood crucial facts and that the court misstepped when it failed to answer whether or not the plan adopted by the board was constitutional. The board's attorneys also claim the court violated the separation of powers doctrine.

Attorneys Michael White and Nicole Corr wrote in Monday's filing:

Adding:

On Dec. 28, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the plan, authored by the state's redistricting board, had violated court-ordered procedures by adhering to the U.S. Voting Rights Act first, with compliance with the Alaska State Constitution a secondary consideration.

The court, in its split decision, found that the redistricting board should have utilized a process that gave deference to Alaska's Constitution, only straying from compliance where necessary to meet the requirements of the Voting Rights Act. Read more

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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