A panel of federal judges will meet Friday to consider Montana’s likely unconstitutional districts for the state’s utility oversight board. The districts haven’t been redrawn since 2003.
Three federal judges will review a legal challenge pushing for the five current Public Service Commission districts to be redrawn because they are no longer equal in population.
Two former politicians and a college student sued the state last year over the malapportioned districts.
State Republican lawmakers made a push to hold a special session to redraw the districts themselves, but that effort lost steam and has not moved forward.
The judges could redraw the districts themselves, and the plaintiffs offered three proposals to make the district map more equitable in population.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen is the defendant in the case and was ordered to also submit a proposal. She did so with minimal changes – but told the judges they should not adopt the districts. She says that responsibility should lie with lawmakers. Jacobsen asked the judges to reject the plaintiffs’ proposal, saying they split too many counties.
The panel of judges will meet Friday morning in Missoula to talk remedies.
