Bill Text: FL S0002 | 2015 | 3rd Special Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

---

Bill Title: Apportionment

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-11-05 - Failed to pass as amended by Conference Committee Report; YEAS 16 NAYS 23 [S0002 Detail]

Download: Florida-2015-S0002-Introduced.html

---

       Florida Senate - 2015                                    SJR 2-C
       
       
        
       By Senator Galvano
       
       
       
       
       
       26-00005-15C                                            20152C__
    1                       Senate Joint Resolution                     
    2         A joint resolution of apportionment; providing
    3         definitions; apportioning the senatorial districts of
    4         the state in accordance with the United States
    5         Decennial Census of 2010 (plan ____); providing for
    6         the inclusion of omitted areas; providing contiguity
    7         for areas specified for inclusion in one senatorial
    8         district which are noncontiguous; specifying that the
    9         apportioned districts constitute the senatorial
   10         districts of the state; providing for severability of
   11         invalid portions; providing for application beginning
   12         in 2016.
   13  
   14  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Official census for apportionment; definitions.—
   17         (1) In accordance with s. 8(a), Art. X of the State
   18  Constitution, the United States Decennial Census of 2010 is the
   19  official census of the state for the purposes of this joint
   20  resolution.
   21         (2) The following delineation of senatorial districts
   22  employs areas included within official county, voting tabulation
   23  district, tract, and block boundary descriptions used by the
   24  United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, in
   25  compiling the United States Decennial Census of 2010 in this
   26  state. The populations within these census geographic units are
   27  the population figures reported in the counts of the United
   28  States Decennial Census of 2010 provided to the state in
   29  accordance with Pub. L. No. 94-171.
   30         (3) As used in this joint resolution, the term:
   31         (a) “Block” describes the smallest geographic unit for
   32  which population was tabulated in the 2010 decennial census.
   33  Blocks are nested within tracts and within voting tabulation
   34  districts. A block is identified by a four-digit integer that is
   35  unique within a tract but is not necessarily unique within a
   36  voting tabulation district.
   37         (b) “Tract” describes a relatively permanent statistical
   38  subdivision of a county updated by local participants prior to
   39  the 2010 decennial census. Tracts consist of whole blocks and
   40  are nested within counties. Tracts are identified uniquely
   41  within a county by an up to four-digit integer and may have an
   42  optional two-digit suffix.
   43         (c) “Voting tabulation district” describes a subdivision of
   44  a county established in Phase 2 of the 2010 Census Redistricting
   45  Data Program. Voting tabulation districts consist of whole
   46  blocks and are nested within counties. Voting tabulation
   47  districts subdivide counties in ways supervisors of elections
   48  determined are efficient for conducting elections and keeping
   49  communities whole. Voting tabulation districts are identified
   50  uniquely within a county by an up to four-digit integer.
   51         Section 2. Senatorial districts.—For the election of
   52  members to the Senate of this state, the state is apportioned
   53  into 40 consecutively numbered, single-member senatorial
   54  districts of contiguous territory, to be designated by such
   55  numbers as follows:
   56  
   57         Section 3. Territory not specified for inclusion in any
   58  senatorial district.—Any portion of the state which is not
   59  stated in this joint resolution as being included in any
   60  senatorial district described in this joint resolution but which
   61  is entirely surrounded by a district shall be deemed to be
   62  included within the surrounding district. Any portion of the
   63  state which is not included in any senatorial district described
   64  in this joint resolution and which is not entirely surrounded by
   65  a district shall be included within that district contiguous to
   66  the portion that contains the least population per legislator
   67  according to the United States Decennial Census of 2010;
   68  however, if every district contiguous to such portion has an
   69  equal population, such portion shall be included within the
   70  lowest-numbered district that is contiguous to such portion.
   71         Section 4. Territory specified for inclusion in one
   72  senatorial district which is noncontiguous.—If any senatorial
   73  district described in this joint resolution is composed of
   74  noncontiguous territory, the noncontiguous portion that has the
   75  least population shall be included in the district that is
   76  contiguous to such portion and that has the least population;
   77  however, if every district contiguous to such portion has an
   78  equal population, such portion shall be included within the
   79  lowest-numbered district that is contiguous to such portion.
   80         Section 5. Districts to constitute senatorial districts of
   81  state.—The senatorial districts created by this joint resolution
   82  constitute and form the senatorial districts of the state, and
   83  members of the Legislature shall be elected in and for these
   84  senatorial districts as provided by law.
   85         Section 6. If any provision of this joint resolution or the
   86  application thereof to any person or circumstance is held
   87  invalid, or if any senatorial district established in this joint
   88  resolution is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other
   89  provisions or applications of this joint resolution, or any
   90  other districts established in this joint resolution, which can
   91  be given effect without the invalid provision or application,
   92  and to this end the provisions of this joint resolution are
   93  severable.
   94         Section 7. This joint resolution applies with respect to
   95  the qualification, nomination, and election of members of the
   96  Senate in the primary and general elections held in 2016 and
   97  thereafter.