Other Counties, Cities, Join Twin Falls In Redistricting Challenge

Northern Idaho’s Kootenai County will join a lawsuit being drafted by Twin Falls County seeking to upend the state’s new redistricting plan. Kootenai County commissioners on Tuesday asked the county prosecutor to intervene.

They don’t like District 7, because it lumps 5,000 residents in southern Kootenai County into a district stretching south to distant Idaho County. They say it will make it difficult for legislators from that district to represent all their constituents, violating the Idaho Constitution. Twin Falls County announced last month it was filing its own challenge, arguing the redistricting map that splits it into three separate districts puts voters at a disadvantage.  Also this week Twin Falls and Buhl City Councils have voted to support the lawsuit being filed by Twin Falls County.  County Prosecutor Grant Loebs is expected to file the lawsuit Wednesday. It took two redistricting commissions this year to come up with a map, but it still must survive these legal challenges.