OMAHA WORLD HERALD- Twice over the past week, factions in the Nebraska Legislature have demonstrated they have the numbers to stymie each other in their redistricting fights. The result: Stalemate over how to redraw the three U.S. House districts. Stalemate over how to reconfigure the 49 districts for the Legislature.

There’s only one way out of this bind: compromise. Serious, responsible compromise.

That’s a hard concession for many senators to make, regardless of party or ideology. Present-day politics urges lawmakers to “be a fighter.” Partisan politics presses hard for full victory.

But that way of thinking has led the Legislature down a cul-de-sac. True, the Census Bureau contributed greatly to this problem by not releasing final figures till August. Nebraska lawmakers have had to compress their redistricting duties into mere weeks, in contrast to the months their predecessors had in past decades.

But there’s no getting around the fact that protracted delay on redistricting threatens grievous harm to Nebraska’s election process next year. That damage will be especially great if lawmakers stay in their corners now and delay the redistricting decisions till the 2022 legislative session. State and local election officials have tremendous responsibilities in working with the new maps in preparation for the 2022 primary and general elections. Many Nebraskans are waiting on the final maps in order to decide whether to run.

Senators have legitimate grounds for disagreement in many instances. Some proposed reconfigurations of state legislative districts are so radical they’re patently unfair — such as the removal of 10 of the 14 neighborhoods in the current district for Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln.

That said, redistricting is an enormously complex endeavor with difficult choices. If the Legislature is to move beyond the current deadlock, all parties must be willing to give.

As of this writing on Wednesday, we are hearing of constructive conversations among key lawmakers. Most important is the focus on reaching agreement on which rural district must move to the east. This is a time for Speaker Mike Hilgers and key figures on the Redistricting Committee to provide leadership, and for senators to move beyond rancor.

In all those endeavors, the watchword is clear.

Compromise.

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