Redistricting judge OK’s state Senate compromise plan

From Capitol Report New Mexico - As expected, redistricting Judge Jim Hall approved the state Senate redistricting plan offered by Gov. Susana Martinez, Native American groups as well as segments of Republicans and Democrats. The Democratically-controlled state legislature passed a Senate plan that was subsequently vetoed by Martinez, who called it overly partisan. In his decision Monday (Jan. 16), Hall said the legislature’s redistricting plan contained “significant population deviations between districts which are not justified by historically significant state policy or unique features” while the compromise — or “Joint Plan” — “has significantly lower population deviations,” complies with the Voting Rights Act, recognizes “the importance of the traditional redistricting principles” and satifies the requests of the state’s Native American community. Under the plan OK’d by Hall, one sitting Republican state senator would be paired with another while one Democrat would also be matched up with another in district consolidations. The Republicans who would face each other in a loser-out election in the southeast part of the state are Rod Adair of Roswell and Bill Burt of Alamogordo. The two Democrats squaring off would be Gerald Ortiz y Pino and Eric Griego, both of Albuquerque – although Griego is stepping down after this upcoming 30-day session to run for US Congress. Read more

Redistricting judge OK’s state Senate compromise plan