EIZER times
$1.00/ ISSUE
Volume 42 • No. 47
SEPT. 10, 2021
9.11
NEVER
FORGET
Local schools welcome back
students for fi rst day
For the fi rst time since March 2020, Salem-Keizer schools are back to full, in-person instruction.
McNary students gather around the front of the school for their first day of in-person instruction. MATT RAWLINGS/Keizertimes
NEWSTAND PRICE: $1.00/ ISSUE
Keizer in limbo as redistricting begins
By JOEY CAPPELLETTI
For the Keizertimes
F
SUBSCRIBER ADDRESS :
See STORY & MORE PHOTOS, page A2
The next decade of Keizer’s
political representation hangs
in the balance as redistricting
offi cially began last week.
For the fi rst time since 2010, state law-
makers are attempting to redraw state dis-
trict maps and released their fi rst attempts
during a virtual meeting on Sept. 3. This
year’s redistricting holds even more weight
with Oregon being one of six states to gain
at least one congressional seat.
“It's the most important issue of 2021,
period. From a political standpoint,” said
state Rep. Bill Post, whose District 25
includes Keizer. “Because it aff ects the
future for the next 10, maybe 20, years.”
Every 10 years, Oregon’s 60 House and
30 Senate districts are redrawn to ensure
each has roughly the same population in a
process called redistricting.
The redistricting committee is com-
posed of three House Democrats and three
House Republicans. Each group submit-
ted their own map of House, Senate and
PROPOSED
6TH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICTS
CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT
6
KEIZER SITS IN MIDDLE OF TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT PLANS
PROPSED REDISTRICTING
KEIZER
KEIZER
REPUBLICAN
REBUBLICAN
CONGRESS PLAN
PROPOSED PLAN
DEMOCRAT
PROPOSED
PLAN
DEMOCRAT
CONGRESS
PLAN
ANDREW JACKSON/Keizertimes
congressional districts during the Sept. 3
meeting and will now have until Sept. 27 to
submit fi nalized maps.
“These maps aren't fi nal. None of them
are, and we'll be using them for public input
to help us improve and ensure fair repre-
sentative lines for the fi nal maps we vote on
later this month,” said Rep. Andrea Salinas,
D-Lake Oswego, during the Sept. 3 commit-
tee meeting.
Oregon is set to gain a seat in the U.S.
House of Representatives after the 2020
Census revealed a population increase of
10.6% since 2010. Each of the two proposed
congressional maps shift Keizer from the
5th Congressional District into the new 6th
Congressional District.
Under the Republicans’ plan, the 6th
See REDISTRICT, page A4