(The Center Square) – North Dakota lawmakers may not meet a court-ordered Friday deadline to redraw legislative district maps.
The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Spirit Lake Tribe filed a lawsuit last year over the map drawn in 2021 that splits District 9 into two subdistricts. The tribes alleged in their lawsuit that the subdistricts affect their ability to elect a candidate of their choice.
U.S. District Chief Judge Peter Welte ruled the map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by diluting Native American votes and gave the Legislature until Friday to finalize a map. Welte has rejected requests for a deadline extension.
The Redistricting Committee met twice in the past two weeks but has not approved a final map. Four options were left on the table after the committee adjourned Wednesday.
“I really think it is important that we hear from the tribal nations involved in this, particularly since there is a map three and a map four involved now in the discussion,” Sen. Brad Bekkedahl, R-Williston, said. “I really don’t feel like we got an adequate testimony during the hearing process on maps one and two.”
Chairman Ron Sorvaag, R-Fargo, said the committee will meet again for another hearing. But its decision will need the approval of the North Dakota Legislature.
“We need to do the right thing the best we can but at the end of the day it’s got to be sold to two thirds of the legislature,” Sorvaag said at a Dec. 13 meeting. “There’s a lot of work to do in a very, very, very, very short period of time.”
(Associate Editor Kim Jarrett contributed to this report)
