The state Districting and Apportionment Commission today officially asked the Montana Supreme Court to appoint a person to serve as the commission's presiding officer.
In a letter mailed to Chief Justice Mike McGrath, the four appointed members of the commission wrote:
"We wish to inform you that we were unable to select a fifth member of the Commission within 20 days of our designation. Pursuant to Article V, section 14, of the Montana Constitution, we ask that the majority of the Supreme Court select a fifth member to serve on the Districting and Apportionment Commission and to act as its presiding officer."
The letter was signed by the four members who were appointed to the bipartisan commission by legislative leaders: Jon Bennion, Joe Lamson, Pat Smith, and Linda Vaughey.
A new districting commission is appointed every 10 years to draw legislative and congressional district boundaries using population data from the most recent U.S. Census.
For more information about the commission, contact Rachel Weiss, legislative research analyst, at (406) 444-5367 or rweiss@mt.gov.
