Washington Redistricting Commission Chair Resigns

(Olympia, WA) --The nonpartisan chair of Washington state's redistricting commission is resigning in response to Democratic leaders' refusal to defend the commission's legislative maps. Chair Sarah Augustine announced her resignation during a meeting Monday after the bipartisan commission's two Democratic members voted against stepping in to defend the panel's new maps against a federal lawsuit.

The lawsuit argues the maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act by illegally diluting the power of Latino voters in central Washington by splitting them among several different districts. It names Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, Democratic state House Speaker Laurie Jinkins and Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig as defendants.

All three have so far refused to defend the maps against the lawsuit.