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H0738.....................................................by APPROPRIATIONS APPROPRIATIONS - Appropriates an additional $50,000 to the Legislative Council for redistricting; and reappropriates the unexpended and unencumbered fund balance. 03/14 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing Rpt prt - to 2nd rdg Rls susp - PASSED - 56-8-6 AYES -- Barraclough, Bedke, Bell, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Bradford, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell, Clark, Collins, Crow, Denney, Ellis, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(13), Field(20), Gagner, Gould, Hadley, Hammond, Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones, Kendell, Kunz, Lake, Langford, Loertscher, Mader, Martinez, Meyer, Montgomery, Mortensen, Moyle, Pischner, Pomeroy, Raybould, Ridinger, Roberts, Sali, Schaefer, Sellman, Shepherd, Smith(33), Smylie, Stevenson, Tilman, Trail, Wheeler, Young, Mr. Speaker NAYS -- Barrett, Bieter, Cuddy, McKague, Pearce, Robison, Smith(23), Wood Absent and excused -- Aikele, Deal, Harwood, Higgins, Kellogg, Stone Floor Sponsor - Bell Title apvd - to Senate 03/14 Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Fin 03/15 Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg 2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg Rls susp - PASSED - 26-8-1 AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Brandt, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron, Darrington, Davis, Deide, Dunklin, Geddes, Goedde, Hill, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, Little, Lodge, Marley, Noh, Richardson, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stennett NAYS -- Branch, Frasure, Hawkins, King-Barrutia, Sims, Thorne, Wheeler, Williams Absent and excused -- Stegner Floor Sponsor - Cameron Title apvd - to House 03/15 To enrol Rpt enrol - Sp signed - Pres signed 03/18 To Governor 03/21 Governor signed Session Law Chapter 178 Effective: 03/21/02
|||| LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO |||| Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2002IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HOUSE BILL NO. 738 BY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE 1 AN ACT 2 APPROPRIATING ADDITIONAL MONEYS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FOR FISCAL YEAR 3 2002; REAPPROPRIATING UNEXPENDED AND UNENCUMBERED BALANCES FOR REDISTRICT- 4 ING; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. 5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho: 6 SECTION 1. In addition to the appropriation made in Section 1, Chapter 7 235, Laws of 2001, there is hereby appropriated to the Legislative Council the 8 following amount to be expended for the designated program from the listed 9 fund for the period July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002: 10 A. REDISTRICTING: 11 General Fund $50,000 12 SECTION 2. There is hereby reappropriated to the Legislative Council the 13 unexpended and unencumbered balance of the appropriation made in Section 1 of 14 this act for the period July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003. 15 SECTION 3. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby 16 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its 17 passage and approval.
Statement of Purpose |
RS12224 |
Regarding the Commission on Redistricting, Article 3, Section 2 of the Idaho Constitution says that the “legislature shall appropriate funds to enable the commission to carry out its duties.” A total of $485,800 has been appropriated for that purpose to date. Ninety-five percent of that amount has been spent, leaving about $22,100 to cover all future Commission on Redistricting expenses.
The General Fund money requested in this appropriation would provide contingency funding for continued Redistricting Commission activities, should they be necessary. If the Idaho Supreme Court upholds the Commission’s latest legislative redistricting plan, it is likely that none of these contingency funds would be needed. All unspent funds would be returned to the General Fund.
Once every ten years, after each national census, states must equalize the population of their legislative and congressional districts by adjusting district boundaries. Due to a 1994 constitutional amendment, a six person, bipartisan, citizens’ commission was responsible for redistricting in Idaho after the 2000 census. Idaho’s first Commission on Redistricting was formed in June 2000 and adopted new legislative and congressional redistricting plans less than 90 days later. The Commission’s legislative plan was challenged by citizens from Madison County and the Bingham County Commission. All such challenges go directly to the Idaho Supreme Court. The Court ruled the plan unconstitutional on November 29, 2001. It directed the Commission to reconvene and adopt a new plan. The Commission did so on January 8, 2002. That plan was challenged by citizens from Bannock County and again by Bingham County. On March 1, the Idaho Supreme Court overturned the Commission’s work a second time. The Commission met on March 9 and adopted a third legislative redistricting plan. This plan could also be challenged. Should the Court continue to find the Commission’s work unconstitutional, this cycle could repeat indefinitely. The Court might also prescribe a different remedy.
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Fiscal Note |
This FY 2002 supplemental appropriation is for $50,000 in one-time General Fund money. Any unspent funds will be returned to the General Fund.
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Contact: Ross Borden 334-4745
Legislative Services Office, Budget & Policy Analysis
Statement of Purpose/Fiscal Note | Bill No. H738 |