Montana State Legislature

2009-2010 Districting and Apportionment Commission

The Districting and Apportionment Commission has authority under the Montana Constitution to draw the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts every 10 years, using population data from the most recent U.S. Census. Montana is one of only thirteen states that give the primary responsibility for drawing legislative districts to a commission.

After results from the 2010 Census are available, the current Commission must complete a Congresisonal redistricting plan within 90 days. The legislative redistricting plan will be presented to the 2013 Legislature for review and recommendations. The Legislature has 30 days to make recommendations to the Commission. Within 30 days of receiving the Legislature's recommendations, the Commission must file the redistricting plan with the Secretary of State and it becomes law. Although the Commission may modify the plan to accommodate the Legislature's recommendations, it is not required to do so. The legislative plan will be in effect for the 2014 election cycle.

The Commission's work plan outlines a tentative schedule to complete its constitutionally required work.

Districting Criteria, as adopted by Commission on May 28th, 2010

Full Meeting Schedule

Printable list of April 2010 public hearings

Friday, April 24, 2009

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Materials

Handouts from the Census and Economic Development Center, Montana Department of Commerce

Additional handouts from staff

Thursday, April 8, 2010

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Locations:
    • Helena -- Room 152, State Capitol
      • Commissioners, staff, members of the public
        (Please arrive on time for the Capitol meeting; doors will lock at 7 p.m.)
         
    • Great Falls -- Great Falls College of Technology, Room B-133
      -- 2100 16th Avenue South
      • Members of the public will participate via videoconference link to Helena

         
    • Havre -- MSU-Northern, Hagener Science Center, Room 202 -- 300 11th Street West
      • Members of the public will participate via videoconference link to Helena
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
  • Audio/Video

Materials

Monday, April 12, 2010

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Locations:
    • Missoula -- Gallagher Business Building, Room 104
      -- University of Montana, Corner of Arthur and Eddy
      • Commissioners, staff, members of the public
    • Kalispell -- Flathead Valley Community College, Room LC-120
      -- 777 Grandview Drive
      • Members of the public will participate via videoconference link to Missoula
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
  • Audio

Materials

Monday, April 19, 2010

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Locations:
    • Billings -- MSU-Billings, 1st Floor Conference Room
      -- 214 N. Broadway
      • Commissioners, staff, and members of the public

         
    • Miles City -- Miles Community College, Room 313
      -- 2715 Dickinson Street
      • Members of the public will participate via videoconference link to Billings
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
  • Audio

Materials

Thursday, April 27, 2010 - POSTPONED

Friday, May 28, 2010

Materials

The May 14 public comments are split into eight files to reduce the file size. All comments were forwarded to the commissioners.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Materials

  • Additional meeting materials, if any, will be posted when available.

Article V, Section 14(2) of the Montana Constitution provides that the redistricting and reapportioning of the state shall be carried out by a commission of five citizens and lists the manner in which those commissioners are to be selected.

  • Commissioners are selected in the session immediately before a federal census.
  • Commissioners may not be public officials.
  • The majority and minority leaders of each house of the Legislature select one commissioner.
  • The first four commissioners have 20 days to select the fifth member, who will also be the Commission's presiding officer.
  • The Supreme Court selects the fifth commissioner if the first four are unable to select a commissioner within the 20 days.

Printable List of Commissioners

Commissioners

The majority and minority leaders of each house of the Legislature selected commissioners in April 2009, as is required by the Montana Constitution.

After an initial meeting, first four commissioners met twice in the spring of 2009 to discuss possible candidates to be the presiding officer. Since they were unable to agree on a fifth commissioner within the 20 days given them by the Montana Constitution, the commissioners then requested the Court to select the fifth commissioner. On May 22, 2009, the Court unanimously selected former Justice Jim Regnier as the fifth commissioner and presiding officer.

Appointed by the Montana Supreme Court:

Jim Regnier, Presiding Officer
Post Office Box 299
Lakeside, MT 59922
(406) 459-3318
jregnier@mt.gov

 

Appointed by Senate Majority Leader Jim Peterson:

Linda Vaughey
2505 Southridge Drive
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 457-9171
lvaughey@mt.gov

 

Appointed by House Majority Leader Margarett Campbell:

Joe Lamson
612 Touchstone Court
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 442-7378
joelamson@mt.gov

 

Appointed by Senate Minority Leader Carol Williams:

Pat Smith
405 South First West
Missoula, MT 59801
(406) 721-1070
patsmith@mt.gov

 

Appointed by House Minority Leader Scott Sales:

Jon Bennion
89 Whitetail
Clancy, MT 59634
(406) 697-0568
jbennion@mt.gov

Printable list of Districting Commissioners

You may also contact the commission as a whole by using the following contact information:

Districting and Apportionment Commission
Legislative Services Division
PO Box 201706
Helena, MT 59620-1706
Phone: (406) 444-3064
Fax: (406) 444-3036
E-mail: districting@mt.gov

Please note that correspondence will be copied and provided to all commissioners. It also becomes part of the Commission's permanent public record.

Commission Work Plan

Citizens' Guide to Legislative Districting

Staff Reports for 2009-2013 Commission

Other Documents

Useful Documents from Previous Commissions

  • Rachel Weiss, Research Analyst
  • Joe Kolman, Research Analyst
  • Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson, Attorney
  • Dawn Field, Secretary

Feel free to contact the Commission via email, mail, or fax by using the following contact information:

Districting and Apportionment Commission
Legislative Services Division
PO Box 201706
Helena, MT 59620-1706
Phone: (406) 444-3064
Fax: (406) 444-3036
E-mail: districting@mt.gov

Please note that correspondence will be copied and provided to all commissioners. It also becomes part of the Commission's permanent record.

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