Bill Text: MN SC7 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Draft
Bill Title: A Senate concurrent resolution relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and congressional plans
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-03 - Laid on table [SC7 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-SC7-Draft.html
1.1A senate concurrent resolution
1.2relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and
1.3congressional plans.
1.4BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota, the House of Representatives
1.5concurring, that a plan for redistricting seats in the Legislature or the United States House of
1.6Representatives must adhere to the following principles:
1.7(1) [NUMBER OF DISTRICTS.] (a) The Senate must be composed of 67 members. The
1.8House of Representatives must be composed of 134 members. Each district is entitled to elect a
1.9single member. Districts must be numbered in a regular series, beginning with House district 1A
1.10in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding across the state from west to east, north to
1.11south, but bypassing the 11-county metropolitan area until the southeast corner has been reached;
1.12then to the 11-county metropolitan area outside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul; then in
1.13Minneapolis and St. Paul.
1.14(b) A plan for congressional districts must have eight districts, each entitled to elect a single
1.15member. District numbers must begin with district one in the southeast corner of the state and end
1.16with district eight in the northeast corner of the state.
1.17(2) [NESTING.] A representative district may not be divided in the formation of a Senate
1.18district.
1.19(3) [EQUAL POPULATION.] (a) Legislative districts must be substantially equal in
1.20population. The population of a legislative district must not deviate from the ideal by more than
1.21one percent, plus or minus.
1.22(b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable.
1.23(4) [CONTIGUITY; COMPACTNESS.] Districts must be composed of convenient
1.24contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this resolution, districts
1.25should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious obstacle to travel
1.26within the district. Point contiguity is not sufficient.
1.27(5) [MINORITY REPRESENTATION.] (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority voting
1.28strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota. The principles
1.29contained in this resolution must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights
1.30Act of 1965, as amended.
2.1(b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or concentrating
2.2minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from electing their
2.3candidates of choice.
2.4(6) [MINOR CIVIL DIVISIONS.] (a) A county, city, or town must not be unduly
2.5divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts composed
2.6of convenient, contiguous territory.
2.7(b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or
2.8congressional district if:
2.9(1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with another
2.10portion of the same city or town; or
2.11(2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town remains
2.12wholly located within a single district.
2.13(7) [PRESERVING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.] Districts should attempt to preserve
2.14identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with the preceding
2.15principles. "Communities of interest" means recognizable areas with similarities of interests
2.16including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic, social, or cultural interests.
2.17(8) [DATA TO BE USED.] The geographic areas and population counts used in maps,
2.18tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic Information
2.19Services Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population counts are the 2010
2.20block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171, subject to correction of
2.21any errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau.
2.22(9) [CONSIDERATION OF PLANS.] A redistricting plan must not be considered for
2.23adoption by the Senate or House of Representatives until a block equivalency file showing the
2.24district to which each census block has been assigned, in a form prescribed by the director of the
2.25Geographic Information Services Office, has been filed with the director.
2.26(10) [PRIORITY OF PRINCIPLES.] Where it is not possible to fully comply with the
2.27principles contained in paragraphs (1) to (7), a redistricting plan must give priority to those
2.28principles in the order in which they are listed in this resolution, except to the extent that doing so
2.29would violate federal or state law.
2.30(11) [EXPIRATION.] This resolution expires June 1, 2012.
1.2relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and
1.3congressional plans.
1.4BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota, the House of Representatives
1.5concurring, that a plan for redistricting seats in the Legislature or the United States House of
1.6Representatives must adhere to the following principles:
1.7(1) [NUMBER OF DISTRICTS.] (a) The Senate must be composed of 67 members. The
1.8House of Representatives must be composed of 134 members. Each district is entitled to elect a
1.9single member. Districts must be numbered in a regular series, beginning with House district 1A
1.10in the northwest corner of the state and proceeding across the state from west to east, north to
1.11south, but bypassing the 11-county metropolitan area until the southeast corner has been reached;
1.12then to the 11-county metropolitan area outside the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul; then in
1.13Minneapolis and St. Paul.
1.14(b) A plan for congressional districts must have eight districts, each entitled to elect a single
1.15member. District numbers must begin with district one in the southeast corner of the state and end
1.16with district eight in the northeast corner of the state.
1.17(2) [NESTING.] A representative district may not be divided in the formation of a Senate
1.18district.
1.19(3) [EQUAL POPULATION.] (a) Legislative districts must be substantially equal in
1.20population. The population of a legislative district must not deviate from the ideal by more than
1.21one percent, plus or minus.
1.22(b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable.
1.23(4) [CONTIGUITY; COMPACTNESS.] Districts must be composed of convenient
1.24contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this resolution, districts
1.25should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious obstacle to travel
1.26within the district. Point contiguity is not sufficient.
1.27(5) [MINORITY REPRESENTATION.] (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority voting
1.28strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota. The principles
1.29contained in this resolution must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights
1.30Act of 1965, as amended.
2.1(b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or concentrating
2.2minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from electing their
2.3candidates of choice.
2.4(6) [MINOR CIVIL DIVISIONS.] (a) A county, city, or town must not be unduly
2.5divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts composed
2.6of convenient, contiguous territory.
2.7(b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or
2.8congressional district if:
2.9(1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with another
2.10portion of the same city or town; or
2.11(2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town remains
2.12wholly located within a single district.
2.13(7) [PRESERVING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.] Districts should attempt to preserve
2.14identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with the preceding
2.15principles. "Communities of interest" means recognizable areas with similarities of interests
2.16including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic, social, or cultural interests.
2.17(8) [DATA TO BE USED.] The geographic areas and population counts used in maps,
2.18tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic Information
2.19Services Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population counts are the 2010
2.20block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171, subject to correction of
2.21any errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau.
2.22(9) [CONSIDERATION OF PLANS.] A redistricting plan must not be considered for
2.23adoption by the Senate or House of Representatives until a block equivalency file showing the
2.24district to which each census block has been assigned, in a form prescribed by the director of the
2.25Geographic Information Services Office, has been filed with the director.
2.26(10) [PRIORITY OF PRINCIPLES.] Where it is not possible to fully comply with the
2.27principles contained in paragraphs (1) to (7), a redistricting plan must give priority to those
2.28principles in the order in which they are listed in this resolution, except to the extent that doing so
2.29would violate federal or state law.
2.30(11) [EXPIRATION.] This resolution expires June 1, 2012.
