The three special masters appointed by Carson City District Judge James Todd Russell filed their report and proposed maps with the court.

There is only one problem, the Nevada Consitution only allows the Nevada Legislature to draw the redistricting maps.

Article 4 Section 5 of the Nevada Constitution is very clear on this issue.

Sec. 5. Number of Senators and members of Assembly; apportionment. Senators and members of the Assembly shall be duly qualified electors in the respective counties and districts which they represent, and the number of Senators shall not be less than one-third nor more than one-half of that of the members of the Assembly.

It shall be the mandatory duty of the Legislature at its first session after the taking of the decennial census of the United States in the year 1950, and after each subsequent decennial census, to fix by law the number of Senators and Assemblymen, and apportion them among the several counties of the State, or among legislative districts which may be established by law, according to the number of inhabitants in them, respectively.

Do you see anywhere where is says the Legislature can pass this mandatory duty to a “special panel” or even the courts? No.

The Nevada Constitution is clear that the courts have no jurisdiction and that a redistricting plan must be legislatively approved.

If there was one thing ALL 2010 candidates knew, it was that they would have to draw new district maps in 2011. It wasn’t a secret. Once elected, all Nevada Assemblymen, State Senators, and the Governor took an Oath to support, protect and defend the Nevada and United States Constitutions. The Nevada Constitution is clear that only the Nevada Legislature has the authority to redraw the district maps.

The Oath of Office is found in Art. 15 Sec. 2 of the Nevada Constitution.

By neglecting to redistrict the State, the Nevada Legislature and the Governor, have violated their Oath to the people of Nevada.

I believe the redistricting maps put together by these “three special masters” should, and will be, challenged in court as unconstitutional.

Is it really too much to ask that our elected officials actually do the job they were elected to do?

As public, litigators argue over Voting
Rights Act meaning, district court will
determine how big taxpayers’ bill will be.  

By Kyle Gillis
LAS VEGAS — Several members of the public apologized to the special masters at Monday’s redistricting hearing, over the need for the masters to take up what was, constitutionally, the Legislature’s chore.

In the end, however, the Legislature may need to apologize to the public.

That’s because regardless of how the final maps turn out, Nevada taxpayers are going to pay the bill for redistricting overtime, according to Deputy Attorney General Kevin Benson.

Benson told Nevada Journal that the masters will be responsible for tracking their own hours and a “per hour” rate hasn’t been established because the rate, much like the redistricting process itself, will be finalized in the First District Court. Both legal parties will have the chance to weigh in on the proposed rate before Judge James Todd Russell issues a final order.

• Read the full news article

We wouldn’t be in this mess if the Nevada Legislature actually did their job in the first place.