Partisan politics in the CRC

I am deeply concerned by the apparent partisan politics affecting the current Spokane County Redistricting Commission (“County redistricting committee deadlocks on picking leader,” April 16).

Redistricting is an important issue for all residents of Spokane County. As of 2022, Spokane County will have five commissioners instead of three, and commissioners will be elected by district rather than at large. The CRC is tasked with drawing up the five new districts. The four voting members of the CRC are supposed to elect a nonpartisan chair; however, they could not reach agreement, so the choice of chair reverts to the current three county commissioners — all staunch Republicans, who were opposed to redistricting in the first place and even filed a lawsuit to try to prevent it.

This situation is ripe for a politically motivated appointment as CRC chair. Current county commissioners need to hear from county voters, their constituents, demanding that a truly nonpartisan chair is appointed to the CRC, not someone who has contributed to current commissioners’ past election campaigns.

Gail C. Furman

Spokane