Montana Democrats Create “Red” Districts, Walk “Fine Line Between Affirmative Action And Fair Play”

After the 2000 election map we’re accustomed to thinking of red as denoting Republican country, but Montana Democrats have something else in mind. According to an article in the Daily InterLake (“Serving Northwest Montana”),

Democrats who control the state’s legislative redistricting process say the motivation behind creating expansive American Indian-dominated districts is “fairness and equitability.”

Proponents of a plan to form two large, irregular-shaped districts in northern Montana openly admit that race was a factor when they designed the new state House and Senate boundaries, which will go into effect prior to the 2004 election.

….

“Commonality and economically,” said Janine Pease Pretty On Top, a Democrat appointed to chair the commission by the Montana Supreme Court. “It’s not just about race.”

Democrats are buttressing their position in the face of statutes that prohibit “racial gerrymandering.” It is expected the matter could very well end up in court on racial grounds and also because the plan might violate a constitutional requirement that districts should be “compact and contiguous.”

As usual, the underlying issue here concerns conflict over whether fairness requires nondiscrimination or proportional representation.

Pease Pretty On Top, who said American Indians make up 8 percent of Montana’s population, says equal representation should translate to American Indians holding eight seats in the House and four in the Senate.

The Daily InterLake‘s view?

Both sides have ample legal arguments, as state and federal courts have struggled to find a consistent voice on the issue, which walks a fine line between affirmative action and fair play.