Bill Text: MI SB0082 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Legislature; apportionment; legislative redistricting commission; create. Amends secs. 1, 1a & 2 of 1996 PA 463 (MCL 4.261 et seq.) & repeals secs. 3 & 4 of 1996 PA 463 (MCL 4.263 & 4.264).
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-01 - Referred To Committee On Government Operations [SB0082 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2017-SB0082-Introduced.html
SENATE BILL No. 82
February 1, 2017, Introduced by Senators BIEDA, GREGORY, CONYERS, JOHNSON and YOUNG and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A bill to amend 1996 PA 463, entitled
"An act to establish guidelines for the decennial adoption of
redistricting plans for the senate and house of representatives; to
provide original jurisdiction to the supreme court to review
redistricting plans enacted by the legislature for compliance with
those guidelines; and to provide a procedure for the supreme court
to use to redistrict the senate and house of representatives under
certain circumstances,"
by amending sections 1, 1a, and 2 (MCL 4.261, 4.261a, and 4.262),
section 1a as added and section 2 as amended by 1999 PA 223; and to
repeal acts and parts of acts.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 1. (1) The legislative redistricting commission is
created within the department of state.
(2) The legislative redistricting commission shall consist of
9 members, appointed as follows:
(a) Four members appointed by the political party whose
candidate for the office of governor received the highest number of
votes at the last general election in which a governor was elected
preceding redistricting.
(b) Four members appointed by the political party whose
candidate for the office of governor received the second highest
number of votes at the last general election in which a governor
was elected preceding redistricting.
(c) One member, who shall serve as chairperson of the
commission, appointed by the auditor general.
(3) The members first appointed to the legislative
redistricting commission must be appointed within 30 days after the
effective date of the amendatory act that added this subsection.
(4) A member of the legislative redistricting commission shall
serve for a term of 2 years or until a successor is appointed,
whichever is later.
(5) If a vacancy occurs on the legislative redistricting
commission, the party or individual who appointed that member under
subsection (2) shall make an appointment for the unexpired term.
(6) The chairperson of the commission shall call the first
meeting of the commission. After the first meeting, the commission
shall meet at least quarterly, or more frequently at the call of
the chairperson or if requested by 5 or more members. The
commission shall hold at least 6 public hearings before voting on
any legislative redistricting plan. At least 1 of the hearings
required under this subsection must take place in each of the
following locations in this state:
(a) The Upper Peninsula.
(b) The northern part of the Lower Peninsula, north of a line
drawn along the northern boundaries of the counties of Bay,
Midland, Isabella, Mecosta, Newaygo, and Oceana.
(c) Southwestern Michigan, those counties south of the region
described in subdivision (b) and west of a line drawn along the
western boundaries of the counties of Bay, Saginaw, Shiawassee,
Ingham, Jackson, and Hillsdale.
(d) Southeastern Michigan, the remaining counties of the state
not included in subdivisions (a) to (c).
(7) The commission shall establish a website and post any
redistricting plan on that website at least 72 hours before voting
on that plan. The commission shall not change a redistricting plan
unless those changes have been posted on the website for at least
72 hours.
(8) A lobbyist, or an officer or employee of the federal or
state government, unless the officer or employee is the member
appointed by the auditor general, is not eligible to serve on the
commission. A member of the commission is not eligible for election
to the legislature until 4 years after the redistricting in which
he or she participated becomes effective.
(9) A majority of the members of the commission constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the
commission. A majority of the members present and serving are
required for official action of the commission.
(10) The business that the commission may perform must be
conducted at a public meeting of the commission held in compliance
with the open meetings act, 1976 PA 267, MCL 15.261 to 15.275.
(11) A writing prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or
retained by the commission in the performance of an official
function is subject to the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442,
MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
(12) A member of the commission shall not solicit or accept a
gift or loan of money, goods, services, or other thing of value
from a lobbyist, an individual who holds an elective office, a
state employee or federal employee, or a 501 or 527 organization.
(13) A member of the legislative redistricting commission
serves without compensation. However, a member of the legislative
redistricting commission may be reimbursed for his or her actual
and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official
duties as a member of the commission.
(14) By September 1, 2021, and every 10 years thereafter, the
legislative redistricting commission shall prepare a legislative
redistricting plan and shall deliver that plan to the legislature.
If 6 members of the legislative redistricting commission cannot
agree on a plan, the members appointed under subsection (2)(a)
shall submit a proposed plan to the legislature and the members
appointed under subsection (2)(b) shall submit a proposed plan to
the legislature by September 15. A legislative redistricting plan
submitted to the legislature under this subsection shall be voted
upon by the legislature before any other redistricting plan is
enacted.
By November 1, 2001, 2021, and
every 10 years thereafter,
the legislature shall enact a redistricting plan for the senate and
house of representatives. Except as otherwise required by federal
law for legislative districts in this state, the commission or
legislature
shall prepare the legislative redistricting
plan shall
be
enacted using only the following
guidelines:
(a)
The senate districts shall must
consist of 38 single-
member districts.
(b)
The house of representatives districts shall must consist
of 110 single-member districts.
(c)
Senate and house of representatives districts shall must
be areas of convenient territory contiguous by land. Areas that
meet only at the points of adjoining corners are not contiguous.
(d)
Senate and house of representatives districts shall must
have a population not exceeding 105% and not less than 95% of the
ideal district size for the senate or the house of representatives
unless
and until the United States supreme court Supreme Court
establishes a different range of allowable population divergence
for state legislative districts.
(e)
Senate and house of representatives district lines shall
must preserve county lines with the least cost to the principle of
equality of population provided for in subdivision (d).
(f) If it is necessary to break county lines to stay within
the range of allowable population divergence provided for in
subdivision (d), the fewest whole cities or whole townships
necessary shall be shifted. Between 2 cities or townships, both of
which will bring the districts into compliance with subdivisions
(d) and (h), the city or township with the lesser population shall
be shifted.
(g) Within those counties to which there is apportioned more
than 1 senate district or house of representatives district,
district
lines shall must be drawn on city and township lines with
the least cost to the principle of equality of population between
election districts consistent with the maximum preservation of city
and township lines and without exceeding the range of allowable
divergence provided for in subdivision (d).
(h) If it is necessary to break city or township lines to stay
within the range of allowable divergence provided for in
subdivision (d), the number of people necessary to achieve
population equality shall be shifted between the 2 districts
affected by the shift, except that in lieu of absolute equality the
lines may be drawn along the closest street or comparable boundary.
(i) Within a city or township to which there is apportioned
more than 1 senate district or house of representatives district,
district
lines shall must be drawn to achieve the maximum
compactness possible within a population range of 98% to 102% of
absolute equality between districts within that city or township.
(j)
Compactness shall must be determined by circumscribing
each district within a circle of minimum radius and measuring the
area, not part of the Great Lakes and not part of another state,
inside the circle but not inside the district.
(k) If a discontiguous township island exists within an
incorporated city or discontiguous portions of townships are split
by
an incorporated city, the splitting of the township shall is not
be
considered a split if any of the
following circumstances exist:
(i) The city must be split to stay within the range of
allowable divergence provided for in subdivision (d) and it is
practicable to keep the township together within 1 district.
(ii) A township island is contained within a whole city and a
split of the city would be required to keep the township intact.
(iii) The discontiguous portion of a township cannot be
included in the same district with another portion of the same
township without creating a noncontiguous district.
(l) Senate and house districts shall must not
violate the
precedents established in Miller v Johnson, 115 S Ct 2475; 132 L Ed
2d 762 (1995); Bush v Vera, 116 S Ct 1941; 135 L Ed 2d 248 (1996);
and, Shaw v Hunt, 116 S Ct 1894; 135 L Ed 2d 207 (1996).
(15) As used in this section:
(a) "Commission" means the legislative redistricting
commission created in subsection (1).
(b) "Elective office" means a public office filled by an
election.
(c) "501 or 527 organization" means an organization that is
exempt from federal income tax under section 501 or 527 of the
internal revenue code, 26 USC 501 or 527.
(d) "Lobbyist" means a lobbyist or lobbyist agent registered
under 1978 PA 472, MCL 4.411 to 4.431.
(e) "State employee" means a classified member of the state
civil service or an unclassified employee of the executive,
legislative, or judicial branch of state government.
Sec. 1a. Senate and house districts shall not violate section
2 of title I of the voting rights act of 1965, Public Law 89-110,
42
U.S.C. 1973.52 USC 10301.
Sec.
2. (1) The supreme court shall have has original and
exclusive state jurisdiction to hear and decide all cases or
controversies in Michigan's 1 court of justice involving a
redistricting plan under this act. A case or controversy in
Michigan's 1 court of justice involving a redistricting plan under
this act shall not be commenced in or heard by the state court of
appeals or any state trial court.
(2)
If a case or controversy involves a legislative
redistricting
plan but an application or petition for review has
not
been filed under subsection (3) or section 3, the supreme court
may,
but is not required to, undertake all or a portion of the
procedures
described in section 4.
(2) (3)
Upon the application of an elector
filed not later
than 60 days after the adoption of the enactment of a redistricting
plan, the supreme court, exercising original state jurisdiction
provided under section 6 of article IV of the state constitution of
1963,
may review any plan enacted by the legislature , and may
modify
that plan or shall remand that plan to a special master the
legislative redistricting commission for further action if the plan
fails to comply with section 1 or 1a.
Enacting section 1. Sections 3 and 4 of 1996 PA 463, MCL 4.263
and 4.264, are repealed.