SF 1764

as introduced - 87th Legislature (2011 - 2012) Posted on 02/10/2012 08:22am

A bill for an act
relating to redistricting; adopting a congressional districting plan for use in
2012 and thereafter; adopting districting principles for congressional districts;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 2.031, subdivision 1; 2.91,
subdivision 1; repealing Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 2.031, subdivision
2; 2.444; 2.484.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 2.031, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Legislative districts.

(a) The representatives in the senate and house
of representatives are apportioned throughout the state in 67 senate districts and 134 house
of representatives districts. Each senate district is entitled to elect one senator and each
house of representatives district is entitled to elect one representative.

(b) Congressional redistricting plan C1102-0, on file with the Geographic
Information Services Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission and published
on its Web site on December 14, 2011, is adopted and describes the congressional districts
within this state.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 2.91, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Distribution.

Upon enactment of a redistricting plan for the
legislature or for Congress, the Legislative Coordinating Commission shall deposit the
plan with the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall provide copies of the relevant
portions of the redistricting plan to each county auditor, who shall provide a copy of the
relevant portions of the plan to each municipal clerk within the county. The secretary of
state, with the cooperation of the commissioner of administration, shall make copies of the
plan file, maps, and tables available to the public for the cost of publication. The revisor of
statutes shall code a metes and bounds description of the districts, as established pursuant
to legislative enactment or court order, in Minnesota Statutes no later than the date of the
state primary in the year ending in two.

Sec. 3. DISTRICTING PRINCIPLES FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS.

Subdivision 1.

Applicability.

The principles in this section apply to congressional
districts.

Subd. 2.

Numbering.

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.

Subd. 3.

Equal population.

The congressional districts shall be as nearly equal
in population as is practicable.

Subd. 4.

Minority representation.

Congressional districts shall not be drawn with
either the purpose or effect of denying or abridging the voting rights of any United States
citizen on account of race, ethnicity, or membership in a language minority group, and
must otherwise comply with the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the United
States Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended, United States Code,
title 42, sections 1973 to 1973aa-6.

Subd. 5.

Contiguity; compactness.

Congressional districts shall consist of
convenient, contiguous territory structured into compact units. Contiguity by water
is sufficient if the body of water does not pose a serious obstacle to travel within the
district. Congressional districts with areas that connect only at a single point shall not
be considered contiguous.

Subd. 6.

Minor civil divisions.

Political subdivisions shall not be divided more
than necessary to meet constitutional requirements.

Subd. 7.

Preserving communities of interest.

Where possible, in compliance with
the preceding principles, communities of interest shall be preserved. For purposes of this
principle, "communities of interest" include, but are not limited to, groups of Minnesota
residents with clearly recognizable similarities of social, geographic, political, cultural,
ethnic, economic, or other interests. Additional communities of interest will be considered
if persuasively established and if consideration thereof would not violate applicable law.

Subd. 8.

Consideration of plans.

Congressional districts shall not be drawn for the
purpose of protecting or defeating an incumbent. The impact of redistricting on incumbent
officeholders is a factor subordinate to all redistricting criteria to determine whether
proposed plans result in either undue incumbent protection or excessive incumbent
conflicts.

EFFECTIVE DATE; EXPIRATION.

This section is effective the day following
final enactment and applies to any plan for districts enacted or established for use at the
state primary in 2012 and thereafter. This section expires June 1, 2012.

Sec. 4. REPEALER.

Minnesota Statutes 2010, sections 2.031, subdivision 2; 2.444; and 2.484, are
repealed.

Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

Except where otherwise provided, this act is effective for the state primary election
in 2012 and thereafter.