SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 10
(By Senator Hunter)
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[Introduced February 11, 2008; referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West
Virginia, amending section four, article VI thereof, relating
to increasing senatorial districts from seventeen to
thirty-four; numbering and designating such proposed
amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose
of such proposed amendment.
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of
the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:
That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment
to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to
the voters of the State at the next general election to be held in
the year two thousand eight, which proposed amendment is that
section four, article six thereof be amended, to read as follows:
ARTICLE VI.
THE LEGISLATURE.
§4. Division of state into senatorial districts.
For the election of senators, the state shall be divided into
twelve thirty-four senatorial districts, which number shall not be
diminished, but may be increased as hereinafter provided. Every
district shall elect
two senators one senator but, where the
district is composed of more than one county, both shall not be
chosen from the same county. The districts shall be compact,
formed of contiguous territory, bounded by county lines, and, as
nearly as practicable, equal in population, to be ascertained by
the census of the United States. After every such census, the
Legislature shall alter the senatorial districts, so far as may be
necessary to make them conform to the foregoing provision.
Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of
article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931,
as amended, the proposed amendment is hereby numbered "Amendment
No. 1" and designated as the "Senatorial District Amendment" and
the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows:
"To increase the number of senatorial districts and provide for
election of one senator from each district."
NOTE: The purpose of this joint resolution is to increase the
number of senatorial districts to thirty-four districts and provide
that one senator is elected from each such district.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.