SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 1890

BYRepresentatives R. Fisher and Anderson

Changing provisions concerning redistricting.

House Committe on State Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operations

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 20, 1990; February 21, 1990

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chairman; Thorsness, Vice Chairman; DeJarnatt, Sutherland.

Senate Staff:Rod McAulay (786-7754)

                  February 22, 1990

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS, FEBRUARY 21, 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.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

Senate Committee - Testified: Rep. Mike Todd