Since schools have just started we thought we’d give all of our readers in Issaquah and Sammamish a pop quiz.

A: Does Issaquah have more in common with Sammamish or Wenatchee?

B: Does Sammamish have more in common with Issaquah or Whatcom County?

If Issaquah residents answered Sammamish in question A, and Sammamish residents answered Issaquah in question B, they obviously know more than one of the members of the state redistricting commission.

Tom Huff would lump Issaquah in with Wenatchee – and even Chelan – in the same congressional district. He would put Sammamish in with almost all the towns in Whatcom County into another congressional district.

Huff, and three other commissioners, are charged with drawing up new boundaries for what will be 10 congressional districts in our state. The districts are adjusted every 10 years after the most recent census to make sure each member of Congress represents the same number of people.

It’s a particularly difficult task in our state since most people live west of the Cascades and at some point residents from other areas might have to be added to balance things out. But Wenatchee and Chelan? Whatcom County? And we thought the current Eighth District was bad stretching from northeast King County into Pierce County.

Yes, we know it’s worse in eastern Washington where congressional districts also stretch over several counties. But that’s because there are so few people over there, compared to the west side.

Fortunately, we don’t expect Huff’s solution to be the one that’s finally adopted. The plans from the three other commissioners (former Sen. Slade Gorton, Tim Ceis and Dean Foster) keep Issaquah and Sammamish together, mostly with neighboring cities and/or suburban areas.

– Craig Groshart, Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter