Iowa redistricting maps unlikely to meet Sept. 1 constitutional deadline

CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa lawmakers and the public will get their first look at the Legislative Services Agency’s new redistricting map Sept. 16.

That’s just 35 days from Aug. 12, when the agency received the Census Bureau data it uses to redraw the 50 Senate and 100 House districts to conform to changes in Iowa’s population over the past 10 years. Ten years ago, it was 49 days before lawmakers received a map, LSA senior legal counsel Ed Cook told the Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission on Tuesday.

The commission must hold three public hearings and submit recommendations to the Legislature. Lawmakers must wait at least three days before voting on the plan.

“We’re pretty much at the starting point,” Cook told the five commission members. “Suffice it to say it's not as simple as pushing the magic redistricting button on the computer.”

» MAPS AND DATA: See population changes for Iowa’s cities and counties

Not only is there no magic redistricting button, but the timeline Cook described does not comply with the constitutional requirement for the Legislature to approve a plan by Sept. 1 and for the plan to be enacted by Sept. 15.

“We will not have a plan submitted in time for that to occur,” Cook said. The plan won’t be available in time for the commission, which has 14 days to conduct three hearings, to forward its recommendations to the Legislature so lawmakers can vote by Sept. 1.

“We would almost have to release the plan today for that to potentially happen. And that's just not going to happen,” Cook said. “That ultimately is going to be a determination of the Supreme Court as to what to do with that deadline.”

In response to numerous questions about how it would proceed if lawmakers miss the deadline, the court issued a vaguely worded statement in early April saying it “tentatively plans to meet its constitutional responsibility by implementing a process which permits, to the extent possible, the redistricting framework presently set forth in Iowa Code chapter 42 to proceed after Sept. 15.”

“Legally and constitutionally, the Supreme Court cannot commit to a future course of action beforehand,” the court said, so the statement “should not be considered legally binding.”

The commission’s goal should be to proceed as quickly as possible, but the goal shouldn’t be to get it done by a certain day, said commission member David Roederer of Johnston. “I’m concerned about accuracy. We’re stuck with this for 10 years.”

Roederer had a preference for at least one in-person hearing. However, Chris Hagenow of Urbandale seemed to express a consensus that “given timeline and some Iowans’ concerns with pandemic, the meetings can be conducted virtually.” Nothing was decided.

The commission planned a virtual meeting at 2 p.m. Aug. 23 to set dates for public hearings. The members — Hagenow and Roederer appointed by Republicans and Ian Russell and Jazmin Newton, both of Davenport, by Democrats — elected Sue Lerdal, a retired LSA staff member as chairwoman.

Comments: (319) 398-8375; james.lynch@thegazette.com