An Anchorage Superior Court judge has struck down a new Senate map as unconstitutional that pairs parts of East Anchorage with Eagle River and a House district that connects Skagway with the Mendenall Valley in Juneau.
JUNEAU, Alaska - to the Alaska Supreme Court. Three conservative members of the board voted to appeal, the two more liberal members voted not to.
The Superior Court judge noted that Eagle River is reliably Republican and South Muldoon is a swing district. Matthews said the board was aware that pairing the two together would effectively “dilute” East Anchorage’s voting power and said that was evidence of “regional partisanship.”Marcum, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy, had said during public board debates that the new map would create “more representation” for Eagle River by giving it two Senate seats.
The Municipality of Skagway challenged a House district approved by the board that grouped it together with the Mendenall Valley instead of downtown Juneau. Virtually all public testimony was opposed to that plan. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough and the City of Valdez had both challenged being grouped together due to concerns they are not socioeconomically integrated or in a compact district. The Mat-Su Borough was also concerned its new districts are overpopulated.
Binkley, the board’s chair, said the judge “had plowed new ground” through this decision. Marcum said it had “novel concepts” and that the board should “get clarity” from the state’s highest court.
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