Seven North Idaho counties are planning a second lawsuit to challenge Idaho's new legislative redistricting plan. "These northern counties want to make sure that their interests are represented, and their interests may diverge somewhat from the Twin Falls petition," said attorney Christ Troupis. Troupis is working with Bonner, Boundary, Benewah, Lewis, Idaho, Shoshone and Clearwater counties on the legal challenge; he's expecting formal approval from them to launch the challenge next Tuesday.

The Lewiston Tribune reported today that Idaho County commissioners voted Tuesday to join the lawsuit, and the others either are on board or are considering it. Already pending at the Idaho Supreme Court is a challenge to the legislative district plan filed by Twin Falls County, with backing from Kootenai, Owyhee and Teton counties and several cities in Twin Falls County. That challenge includes a proposed new legislative district map for the state that splits fewer counties, just six instead of the 11 divided in the district plan approved by Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission.

Troupis said the group of northern counties likes that petition's arguments that the new plan is unconstitutional, but favors a different new map; it likes the North Idaho portion of L-82 (shown above), a map submitted earlier by GOP redistricting commissioners  Lorna Finman, Evan Frasure and Lou Esposito. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.
 

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