Republicans Meet To Choose Re-Districting Panel

Republican leaders meet today to discuss their picks for the panel that will draw Idaho's legislative districts for the next decade.  House Speaker Lawrence Denney of Midvale plans to meet with Senate President Pro Tempore Brent Hill and state GOP chairman Norm Semanko in Boise to discuss their selections for the six-member redistricting commission.   Democrats have already made their choices: Allen Andersen of Pocatello, Julie Kane of Lapwai and George Moses of Boise.  Now, Denney, Hill and Semanko, who each get to choose one representative, must decide before the commission starts statewide hearings in June.  Denney says he's not certain how quickly the Republican leaders will announce selections. Fast-growing suburban areas near Boise are likely to gain political clout while rural Idaho will lose power, based on 2010 census numbers.