HF 1547

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 04/18/2011 10:00am

A bill for an act
relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and
congressional plans; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes,
chapter 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

new text begin [2.92] DISTRICTING PRINCIPLES.
new text end

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
and congressional districts.
new text end

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
of a senate district.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin Contiguity; compactness. new text end

new text begin The districts must be composed of convenient
contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this section,
districts should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious
obstacle to travel within the district.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Numbering. new text end

new text begin (a) The legislative districts must be numbered in a regular
series, beginning with house district 1A in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding
across the state from west to east, north to south, but bypassing the 11 county metropolitan
area until the southeast corner has been reached; then to the 11 county metropolitan area
outside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul; then in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
new text end

new text begin (b) The congressional district numbers must begin with district one in the southeast
corner of the state and end with district eight in the northeast corner of the state.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Data to be used. new text end

new text begin The geographic areas and population counts used in
maps, tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic
Information Systems Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population
counts will be the block population counts provided under Public Law Number 94-171,
subject to correction of any errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 6. new text end

new text begin Data ready; plans posted. new text end

new text begin The director of the Geographic Information
Systems Office shall notify the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of
representatives when the necessary census data has been received from the United States
Census Bureau, loaded into the legislature's computerized redistricting system, and
verified as ready for use in redistricting. A redistricting plan must not be considered for
adoption by the senate or house of representatives until:
new text end

new text begin (1) the notice has been given; and
new text end

new text begin (2) a block equivalency file showing the district to which each census block has been
assigned, in a form prescribed by the director of the Geographic Information Systems
Office, has been filed with the director.
new text end

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective the day following final enactment
and applies to districts effective at the state primary in 2012 and thereafter.
new text end