Split Magnolia or U District? Panel weighs Seattle redistricting options
The process of redrawing Seattle’s City Council districts map is winding down after months of discussion, but multiple options are still on the table, including a late-arriving proposal that would separate the University of Washington campus from the rest of the University District neighborhood…
Many Magnolia residents have urged the commission, including in a meeting Tuesday, to keep their neighborhood together. But the UW and several U District groups are opposing the proposal to make changes in the U District, as is a coalition focused on racial and economic justice in redistricting [RJS].
Op-Ed: Redrawing of Seattle’s council districts shows equity is possible
The Seattle’s Redistricting Commission has developed its final draft map in the first-ever decennial process of redrawing Seattle’s seven city council districts — and it did a great job. The Redistricting Justice for Seattle coalition is pleased to see the commission equitably centered testimony from people of color, renters and community-based organizations to draw this draft map that successfully protects historically marginalized communities.
However, we know whenever marginalized communities organize, wealthy interests come out in full force to resist progress. This redistricting cycle is no exception. We challenge the Redistricting Commissioners to stand firm behind its final draft map that protects communities of color, young people and renters — and vote to finalize it in November.
People of color, renters and young people have been…
New map would redraw Seattle’s City Council districts, with changes for Georgetown, Magnolia
“Looking at this map, I can tell right away that communities of color were not discarded for other special interests. This is key to an inclusive redistricting process,” Joseph Lachman, policy analyst at Asian Counseling and Referral Services, said in a news release issued Wednesday by the coalition.
…“Young people and renters in the downtown corridor have represented the bulk of growth in Seattle and especially District 7,” and shouldn’t have their voting power weakened by district lines, Jazmine Smith, political manager at The Washington Bus, said in the coalition’s news release.
According to the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, some community members have raised concerns about the neighborhood being split, with part separated from Queen Anne. The Chamber suggested this week that residents request district boundary adjustments in Seattle’s “diverse and ever-changing downtown residential areas,” rather than the “long-established neighborhood communities of Magnolia and Queen Anne.”…
Neighborhoods like Yesler Terrace could see changes as Seattle reshapes City Council districts
…redistricting will involve changes in many areas and could alter the power balance at City Hall…with elections looming in 2023.
…Andrew Hong, the coalition’s coordinator, is keeping an eye on the Chinatown International District and Beacon Hill, he said, arguing both neighborhoods should probably remain in District 2, where many Asian American voters live.…
Washington Supreme Court Won’t Redraw Political Maps, Will Accept Redistricting Commission’s Work
“We hoped that the Supreme Court would recognize that these maps violated the law and unjustly diluted community voices here in Yakima,” said Giovanni Severino, a Yakima organizer with Progreso: Latino Progress.
Kamau Chege, director of Washington Community Alliance, said the commission “lacks credibility and their final maps are a stain on our democracy that can’t be ignored. Washingtonians deserve better.”
But legislative leaders generally praised the court…
Washington’s Redistricting Commission Emerges Tuesday Night, Post-Deadline, with Agreement on Boundaries. What’s Next?
Andrew Hong, lead organizer for Redistricting Justice for Washington, a progressive coalition that had pushed for the majority citizen voting-age Latino legislative district — said it was “unfortunate” that the Republican commissioners did not agree to such a plan, “and showed no intention of doing so throughout the process.”
Washington’s Redistricting Commissioners Confident They’ll Meet Deadline, But Face Pushback Over South Seattle Plans
“To me, this whole mess shows that bipartisan is not the same as nonpartisan,” said Aram Falsafi, a resident of Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood, criticizing commissioners from both political parties during Monday’s public meeting. “If this process fails the residents of South Seattle, some of us are going to work extra hard … to make sure the next redistricting commission is actually nonpartisan with no political hacks…”