Bill Text: PA SB1160 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: A Joint Resolution proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the legislature, further providing for terms of members for legislative districts.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 14-2)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-12-14 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [SB1160 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2009-SB1160-Introduced.html

  

 

    

PRINTER'S NO.  1537

  

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

  

SENATE BILL

 

No.

1160

Session of

2009

  

  

INTRODUCED BY ARGALL, VOGEL, FONTANA, WARD, RAFFERTY, ERICKSON, BAKER, BRUBAKER, PIPPY, MENSCH, ALLOWAY, D. WHITE, TOMLINSON, EARLL, BROWNE AND FARNESE, DECEMBER 14, 2009

  

  

REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 14, 2009  

  

  

  

A JOINT RESOLUTION

  

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Proposing separate and distinct amendments to the Constitution

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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the legislature,

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further providing for terms of members for legislative

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districts.

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The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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hereby resolves as follows:

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Section 1.  The following separate and distinct amendments to

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the Constitution of Pennsylvania are proposed in accordance with

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Article XI:

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(1)  That section 3 of Article II be amended to read:

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§ 3.  Terms of members.

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[Senators] The members of the General Assembly shall be

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elected for the term of four years [and Representatives for the

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term of two years].

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(2)  That section 16 of Article II be amended to read:

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§ 16.  Legislative districts.

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[The] (a)  Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b)

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and (c), the Commonwealth shall be divided into 50 senatorial

 


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and 203 representative districts, which shall be composed of

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compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population

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as practicable.

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(b)  (1)  Beginning with the legislative session that

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commences the first Tuesday of January 2013, the Commonwealth

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shall be divided into 193 representative districts, which shall

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be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal

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in population as practicable.

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(2)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of January 2023, the Commonwealth shall be

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divided into 183 representative districts, which shall be

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composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

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population as practicable.

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(3)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of January 2033, the Commonwealth shall be

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divided into 173 representative districts, which shall be

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composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

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population as practicable.

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(4)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of January 2043, the Commonwealth shall be

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divided into 163 representative districts, which shall be

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composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

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population as practicable.

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(5)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of January 2053, the Commonwealth shall be

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divided into 153 representative districts, which shall be

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composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in

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population as practicable.

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(c)  (1)  Beginning with the legislative session that

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commences the first Tuesday of 2013, the Commonwealth shall be

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divided into 49 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of

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compact and contiguous territory as practicable.

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(2)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of 2023, the Commonwealth shall be divided

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into 47 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact

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and contiguous territory as practicable.

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(3)  Beginning with the legislative session that commences

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the first Tuesday of 2033, the Commonwealth shall be divided

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into 45 senatorial districts, which shall be composed of compact

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and contiguous territory as practicable.

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(d)  Each senatorial district shall elect one Senator, and

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each representative district one Representative. Unless

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absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town,

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borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a

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senatorial or representative district.

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Section 2.  (a)  At the 2014 elections to conform to the

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amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, as it

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relates to the amendment of section 3 of Article II, and

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quadrennially thereafter, Representatives shall be chosen to

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serve for four years in all representative districts.

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(b)  The Representatives now in office shall continue in such

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office and shall respectively represent the representative

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districts, as apportioned prior to the effective date of the

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amendment under section 1(1) of this Joint Resolution, in which

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they reside until the expiration of the terms for which they

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were elected.

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Section 3.  (a)  The first elections after reapportionment of

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the Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the

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Constitution of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under

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section 1(2) of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the

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addition of section 16(b)(1) and (c)(1) of Article II, shall be

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held in the year 2012.

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(b)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

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Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

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of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

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of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

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section 16(b)(2) and (c)(2) of Article II, shall be held in the

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year 2022.

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(c)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

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Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

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of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

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of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

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section 16(b)(3) and (c)(3) of Article II, shall be held in the

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year 2032.

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(d)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

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Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

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of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

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of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

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section 16(b)(4) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2042.

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(e)  The first elections after reapportionment of the

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Commonwealth under section 17 of Article II of the Constitution

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of Pennsylvania to conform to the amendment under section 1(2)

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of this Joint Resolution, as it relates to the addition of

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section 16(b)(5) of Article II, shall be held in the year 2052.

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Section 4.  (a)  Upon the first passage by the General

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Assembly of these proposed constitutional amendments, the

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Secretary of the Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to

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comply with the advertising requirements of section 1(2) of

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Article XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall

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transmit the required advertisements to two newspapers in every

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county in which such newspapers are published in sufficient time

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after passage of these proposed constitutional amendments.

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(b)  Upon the second passage by the General Assembly of these

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proposed constitutional amendments, the Secretary of the

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Commonwealth shall proceed immediately to comply with the

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advertising requirements of section 1 of Article XI of the

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Constitution of Pennsylvania and shall transmit the required

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advertisements to two newspapers in every county in which such

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newspapers are published in sufficient time after passage of

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these proposed constitutional amendments. The Secretary of the

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Commonwealth shall submit the proposed constitutional amendment

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under section 1(1) to the qualified electors of this

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Commonwealth as a separate ballot question and the

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constitutional amendment under section 1(2) as a separate ballot

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question at the first primary, general or municipal election

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which meets the requirements of and is in conformance with

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section 1 of Article XI of the Constitution of Pennsylvania and

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which occurs at least three months after the proposed

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constitutional amendments are passed by the General Assembly.

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