New Blogger Mike Boguszewski Says New Political Landscape for Roseville

Whatever political party (or none) that you may ally yourself with, if you are a Roseville resident you have to share my disappointment in the new legislative district maps released this week by the Minnesota Supreme Court Special Redistricting Panel. 

For the past 10 years, eight of Roseville’s 10 precincts (along with Lauderdale and a little piece of St. Anthony) have been part of House District 54A, represented by Mindy Greiling. We are now – well, most of us are now – “redistricted” as a new HD66A.

Roseville is More Splintered

I had hoped that Roseville would be made more “whole”, with the two precincts in the northeast corner of our city – Precincts 3 and 4 – rejoining the other eight precincts in the new HD66A.  But, it was not to be! 

First, not only are 3 and 4 still separated, but the new maps have Precinct 2 and the easternmost part of Precinct 1 also splitting off in a different House District.  In fact, all of Roseville north of County Road C and east of Snelling are now part of a different District.  Our new HD66A also gains Falcon Heights – so we’re basically just “trading” retiring Rep. Greiling for Rep. Alice Hausman.

Strange Bedfellows in the Senate District

In the old scheme, the two Roseville “orphan” precincts at least were part of our same Senate District 54, represented by John Marty.  But now, the 3+  split precincts won’t even vote with the rest of Roseville for State Senator – they’re part of SD42, joined up with folks in Mounds View, Shoreview, Gem Lake, Vadnais Heights, Little Canada and Arden Hills. 

Meanwhile, the other 70 percentd of Roseville is now paired with St. Paul from the Fairgrounds down to Energy Park Drive, and then eastward across I-35E to at least Payne, and from Larpenteur south almost to Phalen.  In effect, most of Roseville has now been joined onto to the “old” SD66.  (Time for a coin flip, Sens. John Marty  and Mary Jo McGuire!)

Making the Census Senseless

And this is the result of a process where keeping “communities of interest” together was a stated purpose!  I’m sure we suburbanites will welcome our new partnership with city voters, as they will welcome it with us – people are people. 

But these districts define the constituencies of our elected officials.  It’s hard not to conclude that the new lines throw together folks with more widely disparate issues and concerns, which may often be at cross purposes.  Good luck to the elected officials who try to please voters across such a gerrymandered territory.  Hey, at least they’ll have another ten years to work on it!

Note:  The best site I’ve found to view the new maps, plus demographic and other details about each new district, is on the State Geographic Services website at:  http://www.gis.leg.mn/redist2010/plans.php?plname=L2012&pltype=court