By RACHEL LA CORTE
The Associated Press
Washington state will get a 10th congressional seat under the 2010 Census figures released Tuesday.
Oregon remains at five congressional seats.
Washington’s population grew by 14.1 percent since 2000, to 6,724,540. That works out to 830,419 additional residents over the decade.
Still, that’s the lowest rate of growth for Washington since the 11.1 percent in the 1940 Census, which reflected the Great Depression years. The 2000 Census found Washington had grown 21.1 percent to 5,894,121 residents.
Oregon’s population climbed 12 percent to 3,831,074 in the 2010 count. That’s down from the 2000 rate of 20.4 percent, but better than the 7.9 percent in the previous decade. Oregon’s population was 3,421,399 in 2000; the state gained 409,675 residents by 2010.
The 435 seats in the U.S. House are apportioned every 10 years among the 50 states based on population shifts. Washington last added another House seat after the 1990 Census. That seat, in the 9th Congressional District, is currently held by Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Smith.
Redistricting is required once every decade to redraw boundaries so political districts contain nearly identical populations.
In Washington state, the process is handled by the citizen Redistricting Commission.
The commission, comprising two Democrats, two Republicans and a nonvoting chairman, was created by constitutional amendment nearly 20 years ago to take the time-consuming and intensely political process out of the hands of the Legislature and governor.
It takes at least three votes to approve the maps.
The Legislature may make minor adjustments in the first month of the 2012 session, by two-thirds votes of both houses, but lawmakers and the governor have essentially no role in the process used since the 1991 redistricting, secretary of state spokesman David Ammons said.
For further information: http://www.census.gov; http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/redistricting
