Alaska Supreme Court hears Valdez redistricting fee dispute

The Alaska Supreme Court heard oral argument Thursday on whether the City of Valdez and Mark Detter can recover attorney's fees and costs from their lawsuit against the state's 2021 legislative redistricting plan.

Valdez and Detter, a Valdez voter, sued the Alaska Redistricting Board in December 2021 and asked in their complaint to be declared constitutional claimants and awarded fees and costs. State law requires courts to award full reasonable fees and costs to a party that prevails in asserting a constitutional right.

Valdez lost most of its case. In a 2023 opinion, the Supreme Court upheld House District 29, which pairs the Valdez area with parts of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. But it agreed with Valdez and the Mat-Su Borough on one point: the "Cantwell appendage," a strip of House District 36 reaching between two other districts to take in Cantwell, violated the state constitution's compactness requirement.

Robin O. Brena represents Valdez and Detter. Matthew Singer represents the Redistricting Board.

The court has not yet ruled.