The agency charged with now re-drawing the maps for the state’s legislative and congressional districts isn’t going to waste time submitting Plan 2. The non-partisan Legislative Services Agency has notified lawmakers it will deliver Plan 2 for redistricting on October 21st.  That’s more than two weeks earlier than the deadline established in Iowa law. Public hearings are required before the Iowa legislature can vote on the plan. October 28th would be the earliest date lawmakers could return to Des Moines for a special session to vote on the second set of proposed district maps.

On Tuesday, the 32 Republicans in the Iowa Senate voted down the first plan for redrawing district lines for 150 state House and Senate seats and for Iowa’s four congressional districts.