OLYMPIA — Washington’s Legislature has approved the state’s redistricting plan.
Senators voted 44-4 to finalize the new maps Wednesday. The state has revamped its congressional and legislative boundaries to account for a decade of population growth that also brought the state a 10th congressional seat.
A bipartisan redistricting commission agreed to the maps on New Year’s Day, and lawmakers only had the power to make small changes to each district. Leadership from both parties touted the process as smooth in comparison to other states that are locked in partisan battles.
A handful of Republican senators voted against the plan, including Sen. Jim Honeyford, of Sunnyside, who is seeing a major reshaping of his district in the Yakima area. He argued that the redistricting commissioners were too focused on politics.
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