Plan 1 for Iowa redistricting is released, see proposals for new congressional, legislative districts

DES MOINES — Plan 1 for Iowa redistricting has been released. Legislators are pouring over the newly configured Iowa House and Senate districts to see if they’re paired with another incumbent. 

House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, says,  “Kind of like a kid with Christmas. You don’t know what you’re going to get.” That’s House Speaker Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford.

In the 2011 redistricting plan, he and another Republican in the Iowa House were thrown into the same district. Grassley is offering this advice to his fellow House Republicans. “Everybody needs to take a look at the map, take a deep breath, make sure you don’t overreact,” Grassley says. “At the end of the day, we’re all still Republicans and as a Caucus, we want to be successful, so take a step back and take some time to evaluate it.”

Population data from the Census Bureau was delivered to states in August and it was impossible for Iowa lawmakers to meet the September 15th deadline set in the Iowa Constitution for completing this process. The Iowa Supreme Court, which is now technically responsible for reapportionment, this week made clear it will allow the legislature to use the process it normally does for redistricting — but the Chief Justice announced December 1st is the deadline for getting a plan in place.

The governor issued a proclamation to convene the legislature in a special session October 5th. The House speaker says the goal is move as quickly as possible to a vote on the plan. “Obviously we want to get this done as quickly as possible with some of the deadlines that are looming,” Grassley says. The top Republican in the Senate issued a written statement earlier this week about redistricting.

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says Iowa has a nationally recognized redistricting process and the goal of Senate Republicans is to follow it, just as lawmakers have since 1981.

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Looking locally — The northern and western-based Fourth Congressional District would include Cerro Gordo, Worth, Floyd, Mitchell, Winnebago, Hancock, and Wright counties in our listening area, while the First District would include Franklin and Butler counties. 

 

Looking at the breakdown of local legislative districts (click on links to see a detailed district map):

 

== House District 52 includes all of Mason City as well as the communities of Rock Falls, Rockwell, Swaledale, Dougherty and the surrounding rural areas. House District 51 includes Ventura, rural parts of southwestern Cerro Gordo County including Thornton and Meservey, all of Winnebago and Hancock County, as well as southern Kossuth County. The two districts combined make up Senate District 26. 

 

== Clear Lake is in House District 55 along with all of Worth and Mitchell counties as well as the northern and western portions of Floyd County including Nora Springs, Rockford, Rudd, Floyd, and Colwell. House District 56 includes all of Chickasaw and Howard counties as well as the rest of Floyd County including Charles City. The two districts combined make up Senate District 28.

 

== Franklin and Butler counties join with a small section of north-central Hardin County to make House District 53. They combine with House District 54 to make up Senate District 27. House District 54 includes all of Bremer and a small portion of southern Fayette County. 

 

== House District 50 is all of Wright and Humboldt counties as well as a northern section of Hamilton County. That combines with House District 49, which includes all of Boone and the rest of Hamilton County to make up Senate District 25. 

 

Click here for a full Iowa Senate map, here for a full Iowa House map