The latest plan for state House and Senate districts tweaks some boundaries to keep communities intact but does not change district lines in seven areas where incumbent lawmakers would have to run against each other this year.
Members of the 2011 Reapportionment Commission unveiled the new maps at a meeting Monday.
Commission Chairwoman Victoria Marks said she is satisfied the plan meets constitutional requirements, although various parties continue to talk about another potential legal challenge.
"We keep hearing all these rumors, so who knows," Marks said. "I’m satisfied with it completely."
The boundaries are being studied by a faction of House Democrats who say the new maps are overly favorable to House Speaker Calvin Say. In the six situations where sitting lawmakers were placed into the same House districts — meaning they would either have to run against another incumbent or move into an open district — four involve members of the 18-member dissident faction that has sought to oust Say. (The seventh case involves a Senate district.)
"I would again urge this commission to carefully consider how the plan continues to unduly favor a political faction in light of some of the very factional lines that currently exist in the state Legislature," state Rep. Della Au Belatti (D, Makiki-Moiliili) told the panel.
Belatti was redrawn into a district against state Rep. Scott Saiki (D, Moiliili-McCully), a fellow member of the dissident faction.
The nine-member commission was appointed by leaders in both chambers — two each by the House speaker, Senate president, House Republican leader and Senate GOP leader. Chairwoman Marks was appointed by the Supreme Court.
The commission’s technical committee, which was charged with drawing the maps, is comprised of two Democratic and two Republican appointees.
"I don’t know how legitimately one could claim that you’re favoring any party or a faction," Marks said.
Dylan Nonaka, a Republican appointee who was on the technical committee, called the favoritism claim "baseless."
"In order for there to be some kind of conspiracy against the dissidents, it would require that the Republicans like myself be doing the bidding of Calvin Say, which is utterly ridiculous," Nonaka said.
The maps were presented Feb. 15, with public comment taken at two meetings last week. Commissioners made slight changes to keep intact areas whose residents oppose their communities being split or being included with a community that does not share their legislative concerns.
Those areas included Newtown, Ocean Pointe, Makakilo-Haleiwa-Waialua and Maunawili.
"Maintaining community integrity was a significant consideration," said Commissioner Calvert Chipchase IV.
The commission is poised to approve the plan at a meeting Wednesday and send it to the state Office of Elections for approval.
