JUNEAU - The committee that will plan Alaska’s legislative redistricting that occurs every 10 years is set to begin meeting, officials said.
The Redistricting Planning Committee will hold its first meeting Wednesday in Anchorage, KTOO-FM reported.
Redistricting involves redrawing Alaska's legislative districts to align with figures from the federal census, which also occurs once every decade, officials said.
Final decisions about where district lines are drawn will be made by a separate redistricting board authorized by the Alaska Constitution.
The planning committee’s powers include leasing office space for the board, acquiring redistricting computer software, and compiling maps and databases, officials said.
The committee’s five members include two appointed by the governor and one each by the Alaska Supreme Court chief justice, the House speaker and the Senate president.
The committee members include Jordan Shilling and Bethany Marcum, both appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy; Jane Conway, appointed by Republican Senate President Cathy Giessel; T.J. Presley, appointed by independent House Speaker Bryce Edgmon; and Jill McLeod, appointed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger.
The constitutionally authorized redistricting board has not been named and must be appointed by Sept. 1.
The board members are appointed in the same way as the planning committee, with the additional requirement that members represent different geographic areas of the state.