Bill Text - CACR6 (2005)

Relating to state representative and state senate districts. Providing that there shall be 36 senate districts and 4 house districts within each senate district.


Revision: Jan. 21, 2010, midnight

2005 SESSION

05-0383

06/09

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 6

RELATING TO: state representative and state senate districts.

PROVIDING THAT: there shall be 36 senate districts and 4 house districts within each senate district.

SPONSORS: Rep. Pratt, Ches 2

COMMITTEE: Election Law

ANALYSIS

This constitutional amendment concurrent resolution establishes 36 senate districts with 4 house districts in each senate district. Each district shall elect one member of the senate or house respectively.

It also repeals provisions of the constitution relative to census adjustments for non-residents; small town representation by districts; dividing towns, wards or places; and relative to compensation of the legislature.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05-0383

06/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

RELATING TO: state representative and state senate districts.

PROVIDING THAT: there shall be 36 senate districts and 4 house districts within each senate district.

Be it Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that the

Constitution of New Hampshire be amended as follows:

I. That article 9-a of the second part of the constitution be repealed.

II. That article 11 of the second part of the constitution be repealed.

III. That article 11-a of the second part of the constitution be repealed.

IV. That article 15 of the second part of the constitution be repealed.

V. That article 9 of the second part of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

[Art.] 9th. [Representatives Elected Every Second Year; Apportionment of Representatives.] There shall be in the legislature of this state a house of representatives, biennially elected and founded on principles of equality, and representation therein shall be as equal as circumstances will admit. [The whole number of representatives to be chosen from the towns, wards, places, and representative districts thereof established hereunder, shall be not less than 375 or more than 400. As soon as possible after the convening of the next regular session of the legislature, and at the session in 1971,] There shall be 4 house districts within each state senate district, each of which shall have a population which deviates by not more than 5 percent from the population of any of the other house districts within the same senate district. Each house district shall elect one representative. Beginning at the session in 2011 and every 10 years thereafter, the legislature shall make an apportionment of representatives according to the last general census of the inhabitants of the state taken by authority of the United States or of this state. [In making such apportionment, no town, ward or place shall be divided nor the boundaries thereof altered.]

VI. That article 14 of the second part of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

[Art.] 14th. [Representatives, How Elected, Qualification of.] Every member of the house of representatives shall be chosen by ballot; and, for 2 years, at least, next preceding [his] that member’s election shall have been [an inhabitant] a resident of [the town, ward, place, or district he may be chosen to represent and shall cease to represent such town, ward, place, or district immediately on his ceasing to be qualified as aforesaid] the district the member seeks to represent, and that member shall cease to represent the district immediately on ceasing to be a resident of the district.

VII. That article 25 of the second part of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

[Art.] 25th. [Senate, How Constituted.] The senate shall consist of [twenty-four] 36 members.

VIII. That article 26 of the second part of the constitution be amended to read as follows:

[Art.] 26th. [Senatorial Districts, How Constituted.] [And that the state may be equally represented in the senate, the legislature shall divide the state into single-member districts, as nearly equal as may be in population, each consisting of contiguous towns, city wards and unincorporated places, without dividing any town, city ward or unincorporated place.] And that the state may be equally represented in the senate, the legislature shall divide the state into single-member districts, as nearly equal as may be in population, each consisting of contiguous towns. Towns or cities which have a population less than that of a senate district shall not be divided. The legislature shall form the single-member districts at its next session after approval of this article by the voters of the state and thereafter at the regular session following each decennial federal census.

IX. That article 26-a of the second part of the constitution be repealed.

X. That the above amendment proposed to the constitution be submitted to the qualified voters of the state at the state general election to be held in November, 2006.

XI. That the selectmen of all towns, cities, wards and places in the state are directed to insert in their warrants for the said 2006 election an article to the following effect: To decide whether the amendments of the constitution proposed by the 2005 session of the general court shall be approved.

XII. That the wording of the question put to the qualified voters shall be:

“To provide that there shall be 36 senate districts and 4 house districts within each senate district, each district to elect one member to the senate or house of representatives respectively and to repeal the provision relative to compensation of the legislature, are you in favor of repealing articles 9-a, 11, 11-a, 15, and 26-a of the second part of the Constitution; and amending articles 9, 14, 25, and 26 of the second part of the constitution to read as follows:

[Art.] 9th. [Representatives Elected Every Second Year; Apportionment of Representatives.] There shall be in the legislature of this state a house of representatives, biennially elected and founded on principles of equality, and representation therein shall be as equal as circumstances will admit. There shall be 4 house districts within each state senate district, each of which shall have a population which deviates by not more than 5 percent from the population of any of the other house districts within the same senate district. Each house district shall elect one representative. Beginning at the session in 2011 and every 10 years thereafter, the legislature shall make an apportionment of representatives according to the last general census of the inhabitants of the state taken by authority of the United States or of this state.

[Art.] 14th. [Representatives, How Elected, Qualification of.] Every member of the house of representatives shall be chosen by ballot; and, for 2 years, at least, next preceding that member’s election shall have been a resident of the district the member seeks to represent, and that member shall cease to represent the district immediately on ceasing to be a resident of the district.

[Art.] 25th. [Senate, How Constituted.] The senate shall consist of 36 members.

[Art.] 26th. [Senatorial Districts, How Constituted.] And that the state may be equally represented in the senate, the legislature shall divide the state into single-member districts, as nearly equal as may be in population, each consisting of contiguous towns. Towns or cities which have a population less than that of a senate district shall not be divided. The legislature shall form the single-member districts at its next session after approval of this article by the voters of the state and thereafter at the regular session following each decennial federal census.”

XIII. That the secretary of state shall print the question to be submitted on a separate ballot or on the same ballot with other constitutional questions. The ballot containing the question shall include 2 squares next to the question allowing the voter to vote “Yes” or “No.” If no cross is made in either of the squares, the ballot shall not be counted on the question. The outside of the ballot shall be the same as the regular official ballot except that the words “Questions Relating to Constitutional Amendments proposed by the 2005 General Court” shall be printed in bold type at the top of the ballot.

XIV. That if the proposed amendment is approved by 2/3 of those voting on the amendment, it becomes effective when the governor proclaims its adoption.