Today's Final Board Meeting.- A Board Divided Signs A Divided Proclamation

The Board's divisions between those members appointed by Republicans (Marcum and Simpson were appointed by Gov. Dunleavy and Binkley was appointed by then Senate President Giessel) and those appointed by non-party affiliated (Borromeo by then House Speaker Bryce Edgmon  and Bahnke by Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice Joel Bolger).  

Nicole Borromeo (l) and Melanie Bahnke

Bahnke and Borromeo tried once again to make changes to the Senate pairings, particularly splitting the two ER districts and pairing one ER district with JBER and Government Hill and the other with a south Muldoon district.  Chair Binkley listened to them and then asked for the vote to finally approve the Board's proclamation.  It was 3-2 to approve the proclamation.  When Board members Borromeo and Bahnke refused to sign their names on the proclamation, Chair Binkley wanted their names taken off the proclamation.  They said they did not want to be erased from the Board and wanted their names on the proclamation. There was a brief stalemate.  Then they took the proclamation and apparently signed but wrote something about it being a partisan, illegal gerrymandering on the proclamation.  Chair Binkley refused to use that page.  The Board's attorney Matt Singer suggested a signature page which differentiated between those in favor and those opposed.  That was accepted.  Then Borromeo and Bahnke made statements.  The other Board members declined to make statements.  [Borromeo's statement was written and I was able to get a copy and it's included below. 

My notes of the meeting below.  [Remember these are very rough, things missing, etc.  but gives you an idea of what happened and when the transcripts/audio comes out, you have an idea of what to look for.]

About 10:03  Motion to adopt.  

Bahnke:  I 'd like to talk about the process

Borromeo: No reason to split ER and in fact there are legal reasons to NOT split the Muldoon districts.  I look forward to being able to speak on these issues.  On the last day, takes downtown Anchorage all the way out to Chugiak.

Bahnke:  Also speak against the motion.  Evidence of partisan gerrymandering which raises questions of the whole plan.  Alaskans deserve better.  Maybe 80% of the plan is fair and non-partisan.  We could have had a 100% non-partisan plan.  

Bethany Marcum

Marcum:  I respect your opinion my experience of military 

Bahnke:  Also point out the cracking of the Muldoon.

Borromeo:  This area of Muldoon is a residential area, and expectation that we have 20,000 Alaskans traveling from this residential area into ER and vice versa is beyond belief.  [Played some audio???]  That's the reason.

All those in favor:

Yes - Marcum, Simpson, Binkley

No - Bahnke, Borromeo

Binkley:  That takes us to signing

Binkley: Take names off the page for the no votes

Borromeo:  Do not take me off the Board by taking my name off the page.  

John Binkley (l) Budd Simpson, Matt Singer,
Board attorney, across the table

Binkley: It makes sense to leave your names off.

Bahnke:  I want it on the record that I am on the Board

Binkley:  You should sign and you can write a minority report.

Bahnke:  You are erasing me from the Board because I vote no.

[Bahnke took the paper back - not sure what she is writing.  Bizarre that Binkley wants to take their names off the signature page.  There has been no attempt in the last two days to forge a compromise.  It's just plowing through using the 3-2 majority.]

[UPDATE Nov 13:  Here's what she was writing -  Image from DermotCole tweet- bottom of this thread - today]

10:13 Binkley:  Lets stand at ease

Matt Singer - You could have those in favor - signatures and those opposed signed there.  

Binkley:  Have signature page with those in opposition and those in favor separate.

AT ease: [Went off the record, but the discussion continued]

Borromeo:  I'm opposed to pairing of 21K/22K [ER and S. Muldoon] 20J/19J [N. Muldoon and U-Med}   23L/24L ( [ER & JBER/Govt Hill)  Other than that I'm fine with the plan.  I don't like all the shuffling of Anchorage. 

Juli [Board Administrator] offering refused statement for signing.  

Borromeo:  I just want to leave our names on.

Bahnke:  For the record not opposed to the whole plan, but integrity breached with Senate pairings.  That raises questions of the rest of the plan.  Can't approve if 20% is [very bad.]  I'm not living in districts where problem takes place, but I can step back and see it disenfranchises a part of Alaska.  I don't mind how that is indicated.  Wasn't opposed to all of them.  Only where I saw cracking and illegal gerrymandering  [Cracking is where you combine a low income diverse district with a higher income white district which tends to diminish the representation of the low income neighborhood.]

Simpson:  I agree with attorney, 

Bahnke:  I would have called this out if Democrats were doing this.

10:20  Binkley:  Let's get back on the record.  Compromise proposed by counsel.  Signature blocks of all five members but indicates which ones support and those who oppose it.

Bahnke:  I think that's better than not signing it.  

Borromeo: [This was my attempt to get down her words.  Below is a copy of her written text] True, fair representation was required by founders.  We failed.  I had to go to DC to deal with VRA, when I came back to Alaska. We used testimony of Alaskans to develop fair map of House districts.  We abandoned that.     22 [ER Valley]&24[N.ER] - same streets, neighborhoods, schools, watersheds, utility, and ER has been trying to annex from Anchorage.  No connection between ER and these Government Hill - only way to access is blocked by Base.  Besides objective - we failed to connect these.   We opposed it.  Worth noting South Muldoon does not have a single road connecting - 4 miles down Muldoon through district 20, then another 12 mies to get to ER.  ER not a hot bed of commerce, basically residential.  To argue S Muldoon goes there to shop etc. is ridiculous.  I was told I won too much.  I didn't win anything.  It's not personal.  Alaska lost.  

Even if it's true I had already whined too much, it's no reason to oppose my maps.  Marcum said that her map would extend ER's political power.  You will hear this.  One of the most diverse neighborhoods is the loser.

I want to thank Alaskans for their attention to all this.  And rural Alaskans.  The hospitality you have shown us can only be found in Alaska.  I remain dedicated to fair maps in the next round.  The violations that occurred inlets two days, prevented me from signing.

Bahnke:  15 months of this process.  What we saw.  The way that Board took action tend  [muffle?] discussion and debate yesterday was contrary to Roberts Rules.  Not an expert.  As a former legislator I think you know those rules well.  The outcome has resulted in muffling of particular segment of Alaskan voters.  One point, legitimacy of my authority to speak for Alaska Natives in my own district was questioned.  I've put up with a lot.  That's micro level.  Macro level it silences  part of our population.  More encouraged today.  The greater victory is shining a light to expect  and deserve better not only from elected and appointed level.  Alaskans are seeing what happens.  Whether Republicans, Dems, white, brown, rural urban - we are all Alaskans.  Shed a bigger light on statewide level.  

Binkley asks Marcum and Simpson if they want to say anything.

Marcum  no

Budd?  no

Binkley:  We took great effort to get testimony, all around the state.  Very informative to get the sense from Alaskans and how they felt.  Guided by constitution, our first priority.  Letter and by rulings that have come out to give us sense of direction.  Adhered to that tightly.  Make certain we have legal and defensible process.  Difficult and unfortunate everyone can't be happy.  Tried to put fair plan together.  Some people can look and say fair and others see it differently.  It would be great to be unanimous.  Public has opportunity to look at it and be engaged  Judicial system will reviewed and that's a wonderful part of this.  

I thank all of my fellow Board members, a lot of time, wonderful. As Melanie and Nicole pointed out Alaskans have been very hospital.  Unfortunate we couldn't reach unanimity.  Tremendous experience for me personally.  

Finally thank staff, did an incredible job under Peter Torkelson's leadership.  Tremendous amount time and fair.  And our legal counsel as well. 

Motion to adjourn, seconded. Opposition?  Adjourned.  

I'd note that after the meeting I introduced myself as a blogger to Budd Simpson and asked if I could ask a couple of questions.  He responded, "I don't talk to bloggers."  I was a little taken aback, but expanded my introduction to say I was a professor emeritus of public administration and that I blogged all of the previous redistricting ten years ago and this time.  He still had nothing to say.  So I asked anyway, "You said you were persuaded by the testimony to accept the house map of Anchorage that kept Eagle River districts separate from the east anchorage and JBER/Govt Hill districts.  There was also overwhelming testimony to keep the ER districts in one Senate seat.  What changed that you weren't persuaded this time?"  He said something like I could ask all I wanted but he wasn't answering.  

This part of the process is over.  Now it's up to the public to legally challenge the Board's proclamation in court.  I expect that will happen given how divided the board was.  

I still have observations to make about a lot that's happened with the Board and will try to do that soon.  Meanwhile I do want to say that this whole process was much more open and transparent than the last Board.  Partly that was due to changes in technology that made accessing interactive maps much easier for the public.  But it also took a Board that was willing to make them accessible and a staff that was incredibly responsive and fast in getting things up.  So I want to thank the Board and staff for doing that.  

I'm scheduled to get on an airplane tomorrow for the first time in almost two years.  I'm looking forward to seeing family and having Thanksgiving with them there.  So I've got lots of things to do to prepare for the house sitter and so I'm going to stop for now.