Political leaders back redistricting reform

A bipartisan assemblage of Minnesota’s political hall of fame is supporting a bill that would create an independent commission to handle the next round of redistricting.

Two former governors, a former U.S. vice president and a former state Senate majority leader endorsed redistricting reform legislation in a letter sent today to state Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope.

The signatories are former Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale, former Republican governors Al Quie and Arne Carlson and former DFL Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe.

The letter was written on Mondale’s letterhead.

The four political leaders support legislation that would create a nonpartisan commission of five former judges to redraw the state’s political boundaries after the 2010 U.S. Census. The redistricting process has been handled by state legislators in the past. The commission’s redistricting plan would ultimately need to be introduced in the Legislature and passed by state lawmakers in an unmodified form.