Dems backing Oregon’s redistricting may regret it in other states
By Terry Murry on Friday, November 12th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
ATHENA – State Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena) said that once the five-judge panel rules on whether Oregon’s Congressional redistricting plan stands, there is no other course of appeal. He said that the plan is a clear case of gerrymandering by the Democrat majority in the Legislature that could end up doing harm to Democrats in other states.
“They’re going to be on thin ice legally because they’re going to fight the gerrymandering where they didn’t get to draw the lines,” Hansell said of the Democrats. “So, by defending it in Oregon, they’re going to have some legal issues when it’s done to them.”
A preliminary report from one of the judges reviewing Oregon’s plan stated that the plan that groups Gresham into a district with Bend is not gerrymandering. The final report has not come out yet.
Hansell said serving on the Senate Redistricting Committee was an eye-opening experience.
“All the rules and regulations say to take the politics out of redistricting,” he said. “I’ve come to the conclusion that’s an impossibility if you’re going to have politicians be the committee that does it. It’s the most political thing that I’ve ever been involved in.”
