DES MOINES, Iowa — On Tuesday, the Iowa Senate rejected the first redistricting proposal from the Legislative Services Agency. The work now shifts back to LSA to create its second proposal.
While the agency has 35 days to submit its next set of maps, they announced Wednesday it will only take 16 days to do so.
"For us political junkies, it's like Christmas day," said Craig Robinson, a Republican strategist. "So now we've all circled October 21 wanting to see what the new maps gonna look like."
Political experts are not surprised the LSA came in well before the 35 day deadline.
"That is one really good group of people over there that know how to do their jobs and do it really well," said Democratic strategist Peter D'Alessandro.
Senate Republicans outlined the issues they have with the first maps on Tuesday, pointing to errors they see with both compactness and population deviation. They've asked the LSA to tweak those issues in the next proposals.
"And the question is, 'Do I take that?'" Robinson said. "Or do I wait to see what's behind door number three? And who knows? It could be a real surprise. And then I'm amending that map which maybe I don't like."
Democrats said Tuesday their concern is Republicans are already eyeing the third map, the first time lawmakers can make amendments.
"I think what Republicans are talking about is, 'Is this Democratic party in Iowa so weak right now, so feckless, that they don't even have the ability to fight us on this? Because if they are, we should go ahead and roll. We should gerrymandering because there's nothing they can do about it'" D'Alessandro told Local 5.
Republicans continued to push back on that notion Tuesday, saying they will fully consider the next proposal.
No matter what's being discussed behind closed doors, both analysts agree the quicker the better for lawmakers who have districts that may be altered before the next election.
"If you have to move into another district, but you have eight months to introduce yourself, that's a heck of a lot different than if you have six weeks to introduce yourself," D'Alessandro said.
"The whole redistricting process, I think, adds an interesting dynamic just to our normal politics in this state," Robinson added.
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