Dean Foster Video Interview
Dean Foster, who served for many years as the Chief Clerk of the House, worked early in his career as an
assistant to Senator Bob Greive during the redistricting battles of the 1960s. Then, more recently, the
Senate Democratic leadership selected Foster as a member of the 2001 Redistricting Commission. Foster is in
a unique position to provide commentary on the process of legislative redistricting and to compare it with
the commission system that was instituted by constitutional amendment in 1983. This interview was conducted
by Sharon Boswell and filmed by Grace Spencer in February 2002.
While still in college, Dean Foster served as an
assistant to Democratic majority leader, Bob Greive, in the redistricting
battles of the 1960s. Foster worked with
Senator Greive to interview incumbent legislators and map the proposed
boundaries of each district in the state.
Foster responds to a question about the process the Democrats used to
organize the huge amount of data they accumulated and map the shifting
boundaries of redistricting.
View video excerpt #1 »
Before the widespread use of computers, redistricting staff
members relied on calculators and their memories to keep track of the huge
amounts of data. Interviewer Sharon
Boswell asks Dean Foster to comment on the methods used to
track changes in district boundaries and organize so much statistical
information.
View video excerpt #2 »
The discussions between Republicans and
Democrats over specific redistricting proposals often became a strategic
game. Dean Foster responds to questions
about the "us versus them" mentality of the redistricting negotiations between
party leaders and staff.
View video excerpt #3 »
Redistricting was serious business and Dean Foster reacts to the idea of any "humor" in the process.
View video excerpt #4 »
The political parties each approached the
redistricting process with a different philosophy of how to accomplish their
goals. Dean Foster comments on how the
strategies used by Democrats in their redistricting efforts.
View video excerpt #5 »
