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Rules allow Montana legislators to live in county, but outside their districts
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| Contributor | RBH |
| Last Edited | RBH Mar 18, 2012 01:30am |
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| Category | News |
| News Date | Sunday, April 3, 2011 07:00:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | Paul Bohan is a Missoula voter who was surprised to see that the Montana senator who represents him in Helena lives outside his district.
In Bohan's case, it's Sen. Tom Facey, a Missoula Democrat. Facey, though, who lives two and a half blocks outside the lines, is just one of many legislators who doesn't reside within his legislative district.
"If the lines aren't important, then why can't someone from Billings represent someone near Missoula?" said Bohan. "Where do you draw the line? Literally."
Living outside the lines can be perfectly legal in Montana, and for many reasons. Folks drawing the districts can't pull shenanigans and gerrymander a political enemy out, for starters. And one political scientist said the setup strikes a balance between giving constituents a go-to legislator and giving the legislator the freedom to take the long view in Helena.
Nonetheless, the question arises often. Facey's heard it plenty, members of the Districting and Apportionment Commission hear it, and the Montana Political Practices Commission gets it frequently, too, especially when election season warms up. |
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