Mondale leads tripartisan group calling for independent redistricting commission

Former Vice President Walter Mondale will be joined by a well-known Republican, Democrat and Independent tomorrow calling for an independent commission to draw Minnesota's congressional and legislative districts.

Joining Mondale will be former DFL Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe, former 1st District Congressman and IP candidate for governor Tim Penny and former GOP Speaker of the House Steve Sviggum. Every 10 years, the legislature is tasked with redrawing the political boundaries. In years past, these redistricting plans have ended up in the courts. Often the charge is that political parties draw the boundaries to benefit their candidates.

Right now the GOP-led Legislature is in charge of coming up with a plan. It would need to be signed off on by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton.

The press conference will be at 10 a.m. at the state Capitol. Participants are expected to argue it is an inherent conflict of interest for legislators to be choosing their own voters by drawing their own district lines. Related to this, the League of Women Voters Rochester on Thursday is hosting a screening of a documentary film called "Gerrymandering," which looks at when politicians abuse the redistricting process.