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By KARLA POMEROY
Editor
The new redistricting map is set, well almost.
Rep. Lorraine Quarberg (R-Thermopolis, HD 28) reported Monday that the Joint Corporations Committee approved the redistricting map following some amendments, including an amendment to the Big Horn Basin’s districts. She said she and Sen. Hank Coe sponsored the amendment last Thursday that adjusted the voting districts in Meeteetse.
Under the previous proposal, Meeteetse, which is split into three different voting districts — town, above and below, was split into two House Districts, HD 28 and HD 24. Quarberg said she needed to come into Park County to get more numbers to reach the plus/or minus 5 percent population deviation of 9,394. However, during public meetings, the one thing legislators heard loud and clear from Meeteetse residents that if they cannot remain in their current house district they want all three voting districts to remain intact in the same house district.
Under the amendment, all three voting districts were moved into House District 28. Since that district then received additional numbers, Quarberg said HD24 would have to go into HD 50 or HD 25 for additional population.
“We left that up to Park County to sort out. I’m not sure where they ended up.
The redistricting map bill that will now go to the full Legislature when the budget session convenes next month, has House District 28 cover part of four counties — all of Hot Springs, part of south Big Horn County including Burlington and Basin, part of Park County including Meeteetse and part of Fremont County including Shoshoni and Lysite.
The other change from an earlier version presented in Big Horn County late last year, was a minor change in the Manderson voting district. Quarberg said all of Manderson will be in House District 27, currently served by Rep. Mike Greear of Worland.
“I hope that will be easier on the Big Horn County clerk’s office keeping Manderson in one house district. They already have enough ballots with all the special districts,” Quarberg said.
Big Horn County Clerk Dori Noyes said she is pleased with how the meeting went. She said her concern is that other plans or amendments may impact the Big Horn Basin. She added that the change in Manderson makes a nice clean break and won’t require additional ballots, as the other plan would have required.
“This new plan is a lot less problematic and keeps community interest intact,” Noyes said. She added, “This is the best it could be with having three house districts in the county.”
Hyattville will also be served by HD27 under the new redistricting map.
Having a larger district, Quarberg said, will be challenging for anyone serving HD28. “It’s going to acquire additional time, mainly in travel. We’re all serving more people, but geographically it’s spelled out differently. To adequately get around and talk to everyone and hear their concerns will involve a lot more travel.”
She said other parts of the state also cover large areas, noting one senate district covers 200 miles.
Quarberg said, “Without a doubt I am pleased with the way the Big Horn Basin came out. House District 28, it was difficult because Hot Springs was one of only two counties that lost population.” She said while it wasn’t a huge drop, 60 people, “in a rural area finding 60 people is not easy (for a house district).”
Overall, the redistricting process has been challenging, Quarberg said. “The Big Horn Basin grew, but not as much as the rest of the state, but throughout this process it’s been amazing to see that 10 or 60 people can make a big difference.
Quarberg said while the committee has approved its map to send to the Legislature it is not completely set with some adjustments still needed in the eastern part of the state and she expects amendments to come before the full Legislature for those changes.
She said any amendments will not impact those areas that are set, such as the Big Horn Basin, Natrona County, whose population made it easy to stay within the county and Albany County. She said there are some minor issues in Sweetwater, Sublette and Lincoln, but not like the issues in Campbell, Goshen, Crook and Weston counties.
She said in most areas, legislators worked cooperatively with the area clerks’ offices to find boundaries that worked, like the Big Horn Basin.
Quarberg said the Senate Districts in the area didn’t change as far as the house districts that they include, but the boundaries change in accordance with the house district.
Senate District 20, served by Sen. Gerald Geis of Worland, will still be comprised of HD28 and HD 27 and will include the new areas that HD28 encompasses now.
