High-priced lawyers pleading on behalf of political-party insiders before a panel of five little-known judges -- that was the scene at the state Judicial Center on Wednesday.
The topic was one of the biggest political decisions of the next decade: redistricting, the decennial postcensus adjustment of congressional and legislative district boundaries to equalize their populations.
What was striking -- and disappointing -- was how unlike a legislative hearing Wednesday's proceedings were. The state Constitution says redistricting is supposed to be the work of the Legislature and the governor.
But in Minnesota this year -- and in three of the previous four postcensus years -- a lawmaking impasse has led to abrogation of that duty, and to the courts taking charge.
The result this year is a legal process dominated by political insiders and devoid of public input when it counts -- after proposed maps are available for public inspection.
That's the process Minnesota appears stuck with in 2012. The judicial panel will issue new maps on Feb. 21 if the governor and Legislature can't agree by then. Frankly, they are not even trying. A better way ought to be found by 2022, but more about that later.
Three maps -- one Republican, one DFL and one by a rump group of "progressive" DFLers -- were subjected to fulsome review Wednesday by seasoned partisan litigators. Those lawyers expect their compensation to come eventually from the taxpayers at court order.
But political parties and donors are likely fronting fees that exceeded $50,000 the last time this work was done, 10 years ago.