In the past with redistricting, major parties essentially have tried to pick their constituents first. Conventional wisdom says Republicans perform better than other parties in the suburbs, and the boom in the ex-urban growth has Walsh predicting GOP majorities in both houses of the state Legislature within two years. Carleton College political scientist Steven Schier says that sounds like wishful thinking. All this depends on how the lines are drawn and where. Both parties have excellent technology for figuring out which lines work best for them.
All parties say they'd like to reach agreement with going to the courts.
But experience doesn't offer much hope. Each redistricting since 1950 has attracted legal challenges, in some cases, before a map had even been drawn. Major funding for Minnesota Public Radio's regional Internet activities is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.