Delaware Senate Bill 235 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-4)
Status: Engrossed on June 14 2012 - 50% progression, died in committee
Action: 2012-06-19 - Introduced and Assigned to House Administration Committee in House
Pending: House Administration Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Draft #1) [HTML]

This bill will create a process to have an eleven-member Commission appointed every ten years to redistrict the Senate and House of Representatives of the Delaware General Assembly. “The Redistricting Commission for the State of Delaware” would consist of ten voting members and one non-voting Chair. The ten voting members would be appointed by the leadership of the House and Senate majority and minority parties. The ten voting members would select the non-voting Chair. The Bill requires the Commission to “conduct an open and transparent redistricting process enabling full public consideration of and comment on the drawing of district lines….” No member of the Commission could be the holder of an elective office, a registered lobbyist within a year prior to appointment or selection, or an elected state official within two years of appointment or selection. The bill contains a timetable for completing the redistricting process. The process would culminate in the submission of a Commission-approved Final Redistricting Plan to the General Assembly for enactment into law. The bill allows for the further submission of a modified plan, if the General Assembly fails to approve the Final Plan by a majority vote of both Houses. If the General Assembly and the Governor fail to enact redistricting legislation by September 30 of the year preceding the next election year, the bill calls for the creation of a two-person judicial panel consisting of the Chancellor of the State of Delaware and a Superior Court Judge appointed by the President Judge of the Superior Court. The judicial panel would be charged with issuing a final and binding redistricting plan for the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Chancellor and the Superior Court Judge assigned to the panel would have to be from separate political parties. Among other things, the Commission is required to: 1. Create a website for review by the public which would contain comprehensive information about the work of the Commission, including the names of the Commissioners, the rules of the Commission, notice of public meetings, district maps for existing districts, any plan approved by the Commission, Census data, and demographic data; 2. Hold four public meetings, one in each county and one in the City of Wilmington; 3. Prepare rules to govern the Commission’s proceedings; 4. Abide by the State Freedom of Information Act; 5. Approve and issue for public consideration and comment a Preliminary Redistricting Plan and Report, 6. Approve and submit to the General Assembly a Final Redistricting Plan and Report; and 7. Before concluding its business, prepare and submit a written report to the General Assembly with recommendations for improvements to the redistricting process. After the Commission’s work is completed, its records are to be maintained by the State Commissioner of Elections for a period of at least twenty years. Author: Senator Blevins

An Act To Amend Title 29 Of The Delaware Code Relating To The Redistricting Of The General Assembly.

Rep. Michael Barbieri [D]	Sen. Patricia Blevins [D]	Sen. Dorinda Connor [R]	Sen. Anthony DeLuca [D]
Sen. Gerald Hocker [R]	Rep. Deborah Hudson [R]	Rep. Earl Jaques [D]	Rep. Helene Keeley [D]
Rep. John Kowalko [D]	Sen. Gary Simpson [R]	Sen. David Sokola [D]	Sen. Robert Venables [D]

2012-06-14 - Senate - Senate Third Reading (Y: 18 N: 2 NV: 0 Abs: 1) [PASS]

Date	Chamber	Action
2012-06-19		Introduced and Assigned to House Administration Committee in House
2012-06-14		Passed by Senate. Votes: Passed 18 YES 2 NO 0 NOT VOTING 1 ABSENT 0 VACANT
2012-06-13		Reported Out of Committee (ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES/ELECTIONS) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits
2012-06-05		Assigned to Administrative Services/Elections Committee in Senate

Type	Source
Summary	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146.nsf/2bede841c6272c888025698400433a04/68bc4d20edbc964e85257a01006d36c1?OpenDocument
Text	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146.nsf/vwLegislation/SB+235/$file/legis.html?open
Roll Call	http://legis.delaware.gov/LIS/lis146.nsf/7712cf7cc0e9227a852568470077336f/6e21acabe634244f85257a1d006ff711?OpenDocument