Staff Reports
In a shocking turn of events, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Lasnik has made a bold move to adopt a new legislative map for Washington state, and it’s leaving conservatives across the state in a frenzy. The new map aims to create a majority-Latino voting district in central Washington, and it’s got Republican leaders seeing red.
This decision all stems from a lawsuit, Soto Palmer v. Hobbs, where the federal court found that the original legislative maps drawn in 2021 by the Washington State Redistricting Commission “cracked” the Latino vote in the Yakima Valley. Essentially, the court argued that the Latino vote was diluted, and something had to be done about it.
Federal judge redraws legislative map in central Washington
The judge’s ruling came with the general election less than eight months away.
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Judge Lasnik’s ruling has sparked uproar among conservative Latino leaders in the state, who are deeply concerned that this new map could potentially leave Sen. Nikki Torres, a prominent Republican figure, without her seat. And let’s just say, Sen. Torres is not happy about this decision. She’s fired back, expressing her disappointment and accusing Judge Lasnik of allowing a partisan gerrymander of the Washington state redistricting map. Ouch.
But the outrage doesn’t stop there. The Washington State Republican Party is slamming Judge Lasnik’s decision, labeling it as a “heavy-handed, partisan usurpation” of the lawful and orderly work of the Washington Redistricting Commission. The nerve of that Judge! The Republican Party is demanding that this decision be appealed, and they’re not holding back in their disapproval of the court’s meddling in state affairs.
With the general election looming on the horizon, this controversial ruling is sending shockwaves through the conservative camp. The battle lines have been drawn, and it’s clear that this is far from over. Stay tuned as this story continues to unfold, and remember, the general election is just around the corner!
