The Washington State Redistricting Commission recently completed a round of 18 public forums in communities throughout the state. We received many insightful comments at the forums and through other submissions.

As chairwoman of the commission, I want to join my fellow commissioners in saying, "Thank you," to all those who took the time to understand the commission's purpose and to provide comment. You can read all the comments we received, as well as watch the past webcasts of the forums, on our website at www.redistricting.wa.gov.

While our final public forum concluded Aug. 9, our work is far from done, and we invite you to check in with us and give us feedback as we progress to a final redistricting plan.

Upcoming milestones include Sept. 13, when commissioners will unveil draft maps for new congressional and legislative districts and Oct. 11, when we'll offer a multimedia opportunity for you to express your views directly to the commissioners. Our goal is to release final plans in early November. Please check our website for more information. We look forward to hearing from you.

Lura Powell, Richland