HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION JJ December 5, 2002, Introduced by Reps. Vear and Bovin and referred to the Committee on Redistricting and Elections. A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the state con- stitution of 1963, by amending sections 2 and 3 of article IV and section 8 of article VII, to modify the term of office for cer- tain state and local offices. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the state of Michigan, That the following amendment to the state con- stitution of 1963, to modify the term of office for certain state and local offices, is proposed, agreed to, and submitted to the people of the state: 1 ARTICLE IV 2 Sec. 2. The senate shall consist of 38 members to be 3 elected from single member districts at the same election as the 4 governor. THROUGH 2006, THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL SERVE 5 for four-year terms concurrent with the term of office of the 6 governor. BEGINNING WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION IN 2006, THE 07975'02 JLB 2 1 MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL BE ELECTED AT A GENERAL ELECTION FOR 2 SIX-YEAR TERMS. 3 In districting the state for the purpose of electing sena- 4 tors after the official publication of the total population count 5 of each federal decennial census, each county shall be assigned 6 apportionment factors equal to the sum of its percentage of the 7 state's population as shown by the last regular federal decennial 8 census computed to the nearest one-one hundredth of one percent 9 multiplied by four and its percentage of the state's land area 10 computed to the nearest one-one hundredth of one percent. 11 In arranging the state into senatorial districts, the appor- 12 tionment commission shall be governed by the following rules: 13 (1) Counties with 13 or more apportionment factors shall be 14 entitled as a class to senators in the proportion that the total 15 apportionment factors of such counties bear to the total appor- 16 tionment factors of the state computed to the nearest whole 17 number. After each such county has been allocated one senator, 18 the remaining senators to which this class of counties is enti- 19 tled shall be distributed among such counties by the method of 20 equal proportions applied to the apportionment factors. 21 (2) Counties having less than 13 apportionment factors shall 22 be entitled as a class to senators in the proportion that the 23 total apportionment factors of such counties bear to the total 24 apportionment factors of the state computed to the nearest whole 25 number. Such counties shall thereafter be arranged into senato- 26 rial districts that are compact, convenient, and contiguous by 27 land, as rectangular in shape as possible, and having as nearly 07975'02 3 1 as possible 13 apportionment factors, but in no event less than 2 10 or more than 16. Insofar as possible, existing senatorial 3 districts at the time of reapportionment shall not be altered 4 unless there is a failure to comply with the above standards. 5 (3) Counties entitled to two or more senators shall be 6 divided into single member districts. The population of such 7 districts shall be as nearly equal as possible but shall not be 8 less than 75 percent nor more than 125 percent of a number deter- 9 mined by dividing the population of the county by the number of 10 senators to which it is entitled. Each such district shall 11 follow incorporated city or township boundary lines to the extent 12 possible and shall be compact, contiguous, and as nearly uniform 13 in shape as possible. 14 Sec. 3. The house of representatives shall consist of 110 15 members electedfor two-year termsfrom single member districts 16 apportioned on a basis of population as provided in this 17 article. THROUGH 2004, THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA- 18 TIVES SHALL SERVE TWO-YEAR TERMS. BEGINNING WITH THE GENERAL 19 ELECTION IN 2004, THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 20 SHALL BE ELECTED FOR FOUR-YEAR TERMS. The districts shall consist 21 of compact and convenient territory contiguous by land. 22 Each county which has a population of not less than 23 seven-tenths of one percent of the population of the state shall 24 constitute a separate representative area. Each county having 25 less than seven-tenths of one percent of the population of the 26 state shall be combined with another county or counties to form a 27 representative area of not less than seven-tenths of one percent 07975'02 4 1 of the population of the state. Any county which is isolated 2 under the initial allocation as provided in this section shall be 3 joined with that contiguous representative area having the small- 4 est percentage of the state's population. Each such representa- 5 tive area shall be entitled initially to one representative. 6 After the assignment of one representative to each of the 7 representative areas, the remaining house seats shall be appor- 8 tioned among the representative areas on the basis of population 9 by the method of equal proportions. 10 Any county comprising a representative area entitled to two 11 or more representatives shall be divided into single member rep- 12 resentative districts as follows: 13 (1) The population of such districts shall be as nearly 14 equal as possible but shall not be less than 75 percent nor more 15 than 125 percent of a number determined by dividing the popula- 16 tion of the representative area by the number of representatives 17 to which it is entitled. 18 (2) Such single member districts shall follow city and town- 19 ship boundaries where applicable and shall be composed of compact 20 and contiguous territory as nearly square in shape as possible. 21 Any representative area consisting of more than one county, 22 entitled to more than one representative, shall be divided into 23 single member districts as equal as possible in population, 24 adhering to county lines. 25 ARTICLE VII 26 Sec. 8.Boards of supervisorsCOUNTY BOARDS OF 27 COMMISSIONERS shall have legislative, administrative and such 07975'02 5 1 other powers and duties as provided by law. BEGINNING WITH THE 2 GENERAL ELECTION IN 2006, THE TERM OF OFFICE FOR A MEMBER OF THE 3 COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS IS FOUR YEARS AS PROVIDED BY LAW. 4 Resolved further, That the foregoing amendment shall be sub- 5 mitted to the people of the state at the next general election in 6 the manner provided by law. 07975'02 Final page. JLB