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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2001

Opening arguments in a Native voting rights case began on Tuesday in federal court in Montana.

The case centers on Blaine County's at-large commission. The county has three districts where candidates run on a staggered basis.

The U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division says the setup dilutes Native voting power. The government wants the district redrawn so that Native voters are joined together and to make it easier for Native candidates to campaign.

The county is being represented by Mountain States Legal Foundation, a former employer of Secretary of Interior Gale Norton.

Get the Story:
Trial focuses on strength of county's Indian vote (The Great Falls Tribune 10/10)