Alaska Redistricting Board to Appeal Redrawing Two Districts

The Alaska Redistricting Board plans to appeal a judge's decision that it redraw two House districts.

The board doesn't plan to challenge Judge Michael McConahy's decision that they redraw two others, House Districts 1 and 2.

Last week, McConahy ruled that House Districts 1, 2, 37 and 38 aren't in harmony with the state Constitution. District 37 splits the Aleutian chain. District 38 stretches from Fairbanks to the Bering Sea.

The board's executive director, Taylor Bickford, says the board believes McConahy's decision would require the board to dilute Alaska Native voting strength and lead to more constitutional violations.

Bickford says he's not sure why the board isn't appealing the decision on Districts 1 and 2 but he says both dealt with issues of compactness and that's generally easier to address.