HF 1547

1st Unofficial Engrossment - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012)

Posted on 05/03/2011 09:14 a.m.

1.1A bill for an act 1.2relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and 1.3congressional plans;proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 1.4chapter 2. 1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.6    Section 1. new text begin [2.92] DISTRICTING PRINCIPLES. new text end 1.7     new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end new text begin Applicability. new text end new text begin The principles in this section apply to legislative new text end 1.8 new text begin and congressional districts. new text end 1.9     new text begin Subd. 2. new text end new text begin Nesting. new text end new text begin A representative district may not be divided in the formation new text end 1.10 new text begin of a senate district. new text end 1.11     new text begin Subd. 3. new text end new text begin Equal population. new text end new text begin (a) Legislative districts must be substantially equal new text end 1.12 new text begin in population. The population of a legislative district must not deviate from the ideal new text end 1.13 new text begin by more than one percent, plus or minus. new text end 1.14 new text begin (b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable. new text end 1.15     new text begin Subd. 4. new text end new text begin Contiguity; compactness. new text end new text begin The districts must be composed of convenient new text end 1.16 new text begin contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this section, new text end 1.17 new text begin districts should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious new text end 1.18 new text begin obstacle to travel within the district. Point contiguity is not sufficient. new text end 1.19     new text begin Subd. 5. new text end new text begin Numbering. new text end new text begin (a) Legislative districts must be numbered in a regular series, new text end 1.20 new text begin beginning with house district 1A in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding new text end 1.21 new text begin across the state from west to east, north to south, but bypassing the 11 county metropolitan new text end 1.22 new text begin area until the southeast corner has been reached; then to the 11 county metropolitan area new text end 1.23 new text begin outside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul; then in Minneapolis and St. Paul. new text end 2.1 new text begin (b) Congressional district numbers must begin with district one in the southeast new text end 2.2 new text begin corner of the state and end with district eight in the northeast corner of the state. new text end 2.3     new text begin Subd. 6. new text end new text begin Minority representation. new text end new text begin (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority new text end 2.4 new text begin voting strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota. new text end 2.5 new text begin These principles must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights new text end 2.6 new text begin Act of 1965, as amended. new text end 2.7 new text begin (b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or new text end 2.8 new text begin concentrating minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from new text end 2.9 new text begin electing their candidates of choice. new text end 2.10     new text begin Subd. 7. new text end new text begin Minor civil divisions. new text end new text begin (a) A county, city, or town must not be unduly new text end 2.11 new text begin divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts new text end 2.12 new text begin composed of convenient, contiguous territory. new text end 2.13 new text begin (b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or new text end 2.14 new text begin congressional district if: new text end 2.15 new text begin (1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with new text end 2.16 new text begin another portion of the same city or town; or new text end 2.17 new text begin (2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town new text end 2.18 new text begin remains wholly located within a single district. new text end 2.19     new text begin Subd. 8. new text end new text begin Preserving communities of interest. new text end new text begin (a) Districts should attempt to new text end 2.20 new text begin preserve identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with new text end 2.21 new text begin the preceding principles. new text end 2.22 new text begin (b) For purposes of this subdivision, "communities of interest" means recognizable new text end 2.23 new text begin areas with similarities of interests, including but not limited to racial, ethnic, geographic, new text end 2.24 new text begin social, or cultural interests. new text end 2.25     new text begin Subd. 9. new text end new text begin Data to be used. new text end new text begin The geographic areas and population counts used in new text end 2.26 new text begin maps, tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic new text end 2.27 new text begin Information Systems Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population new text end 2.28 new text begin counts will be the 2010 block population counts provided to the state under Public Law new text end 2.29 new text begin Number 94-171, subject to correction of any errors acknowledged by the United States new text end 2.30 new text begin Census Bureau. new text end 2.31     new text begin Subd. 10. new text end new text begin Consideration of plans. new text end new text begin A redistricting plan must not be considered for new text end 2.32 new text begin adoption by the senate or house of representatives until a block equivalency file showing new text end 2.33 new text begin the district to which each census block has been assigned, in a form prescribed by the new text end 2.34 new text begin director of the Geographic Information Systems Office, has been filed with the director. new text end 2.35     new text begin Subd. 11. new text end new text begin Priority of principles. new text end new text begin Where it is not possible to fully comply with the new text end 2.36 new text begin principles contained in subdivisions 1 to 8, a redistricting plan must give priority to those new text end 3.1 new text begin principles in the order in which they are listed in this section, except to the extent that new text end 3.2 new text begin doing so would violate federal or state law. new text end 3.3 new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE; EXPIRATION. new text end new text begin This section is effective the day following new text end 3.4 new text begin final enactment and applies to any plan for districts enacted or established for use at the new text end 3.5 new text begin state primary in 2012 and thereafter. This section expires June 1, 2012. new text end