State Senator Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks, Minnesota is chairing the Senate Redistricting Committee, which draws the lines for congressional and state legislative districts. As metro areas grow, Johnson says the representation of rural Minnesota suffers. Johnson cites the use of state disaster funds to deal with the civil unrest in the Twin Cities this past summer. “Because of political pressure, the Governor reached into that fund and used for the civil unrest issue, too. That takes money away from emergencies like flooding in East Grand Forks or Roseau or a tornado. That’s the practical impact of losing the strength of rural representation and the political power moving to urban interest.” During the KKCQ Farm Forum, Johnson said Minnesota is in danger of losing a congressional seat with redistricting.
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