Dayton vetoes redistricting bill
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has vetoed a Republican-backed bill to redraw the state's congressional and legislative boundaries for the next decade.
Dayton had warned Republican legislative leaders that he would not support a redistricting plan that didn't have broad, bipartisan support. Democrats complained that their input was ignored, and there were no DFL votes for the measure in the House or Senate.
In his veto letter, Dayton also claimed that the GOP map was drawn for the purpose of protecting or defeating incumbents. He said the districts in the bill are too partisan.
A new political map is needed to reflect population shifts in the latest census. If the governor and Legislature cannot reach an agreement by early next year, the courts will have to step in.
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