SF 1888

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/20/2015 09:06am

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; constitutional duty of legislature. new text end

new text begin (a) The principles
in this section apply to legislative and congressional districts.
new text end

new text begin (b) Notwithstanding any laws to the contrary, legislative and congressional districts
must be drawn by the legislature, consistent with the requirements of the Minnesota
Constitution, article IV, section 3. The legislature may not delegate its duty to draw
districts to any commission, council, panel, or other entity that is not comprised solely of
members of the legislature.
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 Equal population. new text end

new text begin (a) Legislative districts must be substantially equal
in population. The population of a legislative district must not deviate from the ideal
by more than 0.5 percent, plus or minus.
new text end

new text begin (b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable.
new text end

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
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. Point contiguity is not sufficient.
new text end

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,
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) 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. 6. new text end

new text begin Minority representation. new text end

new text begin (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority
voting strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota.
These principles must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights
Act of 1965, as amended.
new text end

new text begin (b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or
concentrating minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from
electing their candidates of choice.
new text end

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
divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts
composed of convenient, contiguous territory.
new text end

new text begin (b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or
congressional district if:
new text end

new text begin (1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with
another portion of the same city or town; or
new text end

new text begin (2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town
remains wholly located within a single district.
new text end

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
preserve identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with
the principles under this section.
new text end

new text begin (b) For purposes of this subdivision, "communities of interest" means recognizable
areas with similarities of interests including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic,
social, or cultural interests.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 9. new text end

new text begin Data to be used. new text end

new text begin (a) 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 to the state under Public Law 94-171
after each decennial census, subject to correction of any errors acknowledged by the
United States Census Bureau.
new text end

new text begin (b) Nothing in this subdivision prohibits the use of additional data, as determined
by the legislature.
new text end

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
adoption by the senate or house of representatives until 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 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
principles contained in subdivisions 1 to 8, a redistricting plan must give priority to those
principles in the order in which they are listed in this section, except to the extent that
doing so would violate federal or state law.
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 any plan for districts enacted or established for use on or after that date.
new text end