HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1890

As Amended by the Senate

BYRepresentatives R. Fisher and Anderson

Changing provisions concerning redistricting.

House Committe on State Government

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (9)

      Signed by Representatives R. Fisher, Chair; Anderson, Vice Chair; McLean, Ranking Republican Member; Hankins, R. King, Morris, O'Brien, Sayan and Silver.

House Staff:Kenneth Hirst (786-7105)

AS PASSED HOUSE JANUARY 12, 1990

BACKGROUND:

State law currently divides the state into 51 legislative (representative) districts and 49 senatorial districts.  Two senatorial districts, the 19th and the 39th, each contain two single-member representative districts.  All other senatorial districts contain two-member representative districts.

Article II, Section 43 of the state's Constitution requires the appointment of a Redistricting Commission to divide the state into Congressional and legislative districts.  It requires the state's Supreme Court to develop a redistricting plan if the Commission should fail to do so in a timely manner.  It also prohibits the Commission, which will be activated for the first time in 1991, from providing a number of legislative districts that is different than the number established by the Legislature.  A provision of the enabling law enacted with that section of the Constitution requires the Commission's districting plan to establish representative districts uniformly so that if one senatorial district is divided in the formation of representative districts, all senatorial districts must be so divided.

SUMMARY:

Any redistricting plan adopted by the Redistricting Commission or, should the Commission fail to adopt a plan in a timely manner, by the Supreme Court must provide for 49 representative districts and 49 senatorial districts.  The boundaries of a representative district for any given area must be identical to the boundaries for the senatorial district for that area.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENTS:  The amendments require new redistricting plans to contain 49 legislative districts with two representatives and one senator elected from each district.  The two representatives are to run at large within each district.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Representative Ruth Fisher, prime sponsor.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The bill is preparing the way for redistricting.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      Yeas 62; Nays 26; Absent 2; Excused 7

Voting Nay: Representatives Ballard, Beck, Betrozoff, Bowman, Brooks, Brough, Brumsickle, Chandler, Doty, Forner, Fuhrman, Holland, Horn, May, Miller, Moyer, Nealey, Padden, Prince, Smith, Sommers D, Tate, Walker, Wolfe, Wood, Youngsman

Absent:     Representatives Appelwick, Braddock

Excused:    Representatives Locke, Morris, Peery, Schoon, Silver, Sommers H, Todd