Federal judge rebuffs bid to toss WA legislative maps

A federal judge has rejected a request to ditch political maps for Washington’s Legislature that he approved two years ago.

Now, opponents are waiting to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on whether the maps comply with an April ruling from the high court in the case Louisiana v. Callais, which significantly curtailed the use of race in drawing districts.

U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik approved the redrawing of legislative district boundaries in 2024 to enhance the political voice of Latino voters in the Yakima Valley. This came in response to a lawsuit over the map the state’s bipartisan redistricting commission came up with in 2021.

Lasnik on Friday denied opponents’ motion to undo his changes and restore the commission-drawn boundaries.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/briefs/federal-judge-rebuffs-bid-to-toss-wa-legislative-maps/