HB106 HFA LANE 8-4

    Delegate Lane moves to amend the bill on page 464, section 2, after line 24 by adding a new section to read as follows:

§ 1-2-2a. Citizens Redistricting Commission.

    The Citizens Redistricting Commission is hereby created.  It shall be composed of seven members who have been residents and registered voters of this state for at least ten years immediately prior to the date of appointment, to be appointed by the governor during the year in which the decennial census is taken, no more than four of whom shall be members of the same political party.  The members shall be broadly representative of the public at large. Members of the Legislature and officers and employees of the state or of any county, municipality or other governmental unit of the state shall not be eligible for appointment to or to serve as members of the commission.  The term of each member of the commission shall expire upon the submission of its bill to the Legislature.  Any member may be reappointed for any number of terms, and any vacancy shall be filled by the governor for the unexpired term.  Any member of the commission may be removed by the governor prior to the expiration of such member's term for official misconduct, incompetency or neglect of duty.  The governor shall designate one member of the commission as chairman.  The members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be entitled to be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties as such members.

     No later than ninety days from the time the census data is available from the Federal government, the arrangement of senatorial and delegate districts shall be presented to the Legislature in a bill submitted for introduction at the request of the Citizens Redistricting Commission hereinafter created. In order to consider any other measure providing for the arrangement of the senatorial and delegate districts, the Legislature must consider without amendment and reject by two thirds vote of those elected in each house the bill as proposed by the Citizens Redistricting Commission. All voting on the floor of both houses on the question of passage of any such general law shall be by yeas and nays to be entered on the journals. Prior to submission of the bill by the Citizens Redistricting Commission, the Commission shall hold no less than a total of five public hearings, with one hearing being held in each of the various regions of the state. The bill submitted to the Legislature by the Commission shall conform to the Federal Constitution, state Constitution and case law governing redistricting. In drafting the proposed arrangement of senatorial and delegate districts, the Commission may not consider the residency of incumbents. In drafting the proposed arrangement of delegate districts, the Commission shall arrange for districts containing not more than one delegate.

Adopted

Rejected