Bill Text: MN HC2 | 2011-2012 | 87th Legislature | Draft
Bill Title: Redistricting; a house concurrent resolution relating to redistricting, establishing districting principles for legislative and congressional plans.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (N/A - Dead) 2011-04-27 - Committee report, to adopt as amended [HC2 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2011-HC2-Draft.html
1.1A house concurrent resolution
1.2relating to redistricting; establishing districting principles for legislative and
1.3congressional plans.
1.4BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the State of Minnesota, the Senate
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
1.21than one percent, plus or minus. The ideal population of a House district is 39,582. The ideal
1.22population of a Senate district is 79,164.
2.1(b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable. The ideal
2.2population of a congressional district is 662,991.
2.3(4) [CONTIGUITY; COMPACTNESS.] Districts must be composed of convenient
2.4contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this resolution, districts
2.5should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious obstacle to travel
2.6within the district. Point contiguity is not sufficient.
2.7(5) [MINORITY REPRESENTATION.] (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority voting
2.8strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota. The principles
2.9contained in this resolution must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights
2.10Act of 1965, as amended.
2.11(b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or concentrating
2.12minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from electing their
2.13candidates of choice.
2.14(6) [MINOR CIVIL DIVISIONS.] (a) A county, city, or town must not be unduly
2.15divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts composed
2.16of convenient, contiguous territory.
2.17(b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or
2.18congressional district if:
2.19(1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with another
2.20portion of the same city or town; or
2.21(2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town remains
2.22wholly located within a single district.
2.23(7) [PRESERVING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.] Districts should attempt to preserve
2.24identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with the preceding
2.25principles. "Communities of interest" means recognizable areas with similarities of interests
2.26including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic, social, or cultural interests.
2.27(8) [DATA TO BE USED.] The geographic areas and population counts used in maps,
2.28tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic Information
2.29Services Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population counts are the 2010
2.30block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171, subject to correction of
2.31any errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau.
3.1(9) [CONSIDERATION OF PLANS.] A redistricting plan must not be considered for
3.2adoption by the Senate or House of Representatives until a block equivalency file showing the
3.3district to which each census block has been assigned, in a form prescribed by the director of the
3.4Geographic Information Services Office, has been filed with the director.
3.5(10) [PRIORITY OF PRINCIPLES.] Where it is not possible to fully comply with the
3.6principles contained in paragraphs (1) to (7), a redistricting plan must give priority to those
3.7principles in the order in which they are listed in this resolution, except to the extent that doing so
3.8would violate federal or state law.
3.9(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 House of Representatives of the State of Minnesota, the Senate
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
1.21than one percent, plus or minus. The ideal population of a House district is 39,582. The ideal
1.22population of a Senate district is 79,164.
2.1(b) Congressional districts must be as nearly equal in population as practicable. The ideal
2.2population of a congressional district is 662,991.
2.3(4) [CONTIGUITY; COMPACTNESS.] Districts must be composed of convenient
2.4contiguous territory. To the extent consistent with the other principles in this resolution, districts
2.5should be compact. Contiguity by water is sufficient if the water is not a serious obstacle to travel
2.6within the district. Point contiguity is not sufficient.
2.7(5) [MINORITY REPRESENTATION.] (a) The dilution of racial or ethnic minority voting
2.8strength is contrary to the laws of the United States and the state of Minnesota. The principles
2.9contained in this resolution must not be construed to supersede any provision of the Voting Rights
2.10Act of 1965, as amended.
2.11(b) A redistricting plan must not have the intent or effect of dispersing or concentrating
2.12minority population in a manner that prevents minority communities from electing their
2.13candidates of choice.
2.14(6) [MINOR CIVIL DIVISIONS.] (a) A county, city, or town must not be unduly
2.15divided unless required to meet equal population requirements or to form districts composed
2.16of convenient, contiguous territory.
2.17(b) A county, city, or town is not unduly divided in the formation of a legislative or
2.18congressional district if:
2.19(1) the division occurs because a portion of a city or town is noncontiguous with another
2.20portion of the same city or town; or
2.21(2) despite the division, the known population of any affected county, city, or town remains
2.22wholly located within a single district.
2.23(7) [PRESERVING COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.] Districts should attempt to preserve
2.24identifiable communities of interest where that can be done in compliance with the preceding
2.25principles. "Communities of interest" means recognizable areas with similarities of interests
2.26including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic, social, or cultural interests.
2.27(8) [DATA TO BE USED.] The geographic areas and population counts used in maps,
2.28tables, and legal descriptions of the districts must be those used by the Geographic Information
2.29Services Office of the Legislative Coordinating Commission. The population counts are the 2010
2.30block population counts provided to the state under Public Law 94-171, subject to correction of
2.31any errors acknowledged by the United States Census Bureau.
3.1(9) [CONSIDERATION OF PLANS.] A redistricting plan must not be considered for
3.2adoption by the Senate or House of Representatives until a block equivalency file showing the
3.3district to which each census block has been assigned, in a form prescribed by the director of the
3.4Geographic Information Services Office, has been filed with the director.
3.5(10) [PRIORITY OF PRINCIPLES.] Where it is not possible to fully comply with the
3.6principles contained in paragraphs (1) to (7), a redistricting plan must give priority to those
3.7principles in the order in which they are listed in this resolution, except to the extent that doing so
3.8would violate federal or state law.
3.9(11) [EXPIRATION.] This resolution expires June 1, 2012.
