Panel OKs draft North Dakota legislative redistricting map

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A panel of lawmakers has substantially completed a draft of North Dakota’s new legislative map that creates three new districts in the state’s fastest-growing areas but erases an equal amount in some rural regions.

The preliminary plan unanimously approved Thursday also forces several incumbent lawmakers to run against each other to keep their jobs, including the Democratic Senate minority leader and the GOP House majority leader.

Rep. Bill Devlin, chairman of the committee, says the panel will return to the Capitol twice next week to “tweak” the plan that was drafted over the past several weeks.