SJR 26 - This constitutional amendment, if approved by voters, will modify redistricting procedures. Currently, the congressional district committees of each party nominates reapportionment commissioners to be submitted to the Governor. The Governor then chooses names from each list. Districts are drawn based on contiguousness and compactness after public hearings. If the apportionment statement is not timely filed, a commission of judges shall develop an apportionment plan.
This act establishes a state demographer who shall develop procedures for drawing congressional and legislative redistricting plans based on each federal decennial census. Plans are due on April 1 in each year ending in 1. Districts shall be based on population and the number of counties and cities divided among more than one district shall be as small as possible. More populous subdivisions shall be divided before the less populous.
Formulas are provided for determining lengths and widths of districts in order to determine compactness.
CHRIS HOGERTY