HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                      Olympia, Washington

Bill Analysis      Bill No.  HB 2068

Dividing legislative districts into two subdistricts.

Brief Title                              Hearing Date: 2/26/99

Reps. Dunshee and Schmidt, D.              Staff: Steve Lundin

Sponsor(s)                          State Government Committee

                                              Phone:  786-7127

BACKGROUND:

State voters approved Amendment 74  to the state constitution in 1983 providing for a commission to redistrict legislative and congressional districts. A redistricting commission is created once every ten years, in January of each year ending in a one.  The Legislature is required to enact legislation implementing this amendment.

Each commission is composed of five members.  The legislative leader of each of the two largest political caucuses in each house of the Legislature appoint one person to the commission.  These appointments must be made by January 31.  The fifth person is appointed by the four appointees.  The supreme court makes the appointment of the fifth person if the appointment is not made by the other four members by February 5.

Each commission shall complete its redistricting by no later than January 1 of the next year.  At least three members of the commission must approve the redistricting plan.  The supreme court shall adopt a redistricting plan by April 30 of that year if the commission fails to adopt a plan by January 1.

The Legislature may amend the redistricting plan by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house within 30 days of the first legislative session occurring after the commission submits its plan.

Each district must have a population, excluding nonresident military personnel, equal as practicable to the population of each other district.  To the extend reasonable each district shall contain contiguous territory, shall be compact and convenient, and shall be separated from adjoining districts by natural geographic barriers, artificial barriers, or political boundaries. The commission=s plan shall not be drawn purposely to favor or discriminate against any political party or group.

Article II, Section 2, of the state constitution, provides that the House of Representatives shall be composed of between 63 and 99 members and that Senate shall be composed of senators be not less than one third or more than one half of the number of members of the House of Representatives.

Statutes provides for 49 legislative districts.  The Senate shall be composed of 49 members, one elected from each of the 49 legislative districts.   The House of Representatives shall be composed of 98 members, two of whom shall be elected from and run at large within each legislative district.

SUMMARY:

The commission is required to draw two subdistricts in each legislative district, denoted as subdistricts A and B, one member of the House of Representatives is to be elected from each legislative subdistrict.

The same general requirements for drawing districts apply to drawing subdistricts, including the requirement that each subdistrict contain approximately the same population, boundary lines should be drawn to coincide with the boundaries of local political subdivisions, and boundary lines should be composed of convenient, compact, and contiguous territory.

FISCAL NOTE:  Not requested.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.