Bill Summaries: H783 (2011-2012 Session)

Tracking:
  • Summary date: Apr 7 2011 - View summary

    Amends Article II of the NC Constitution to create a new Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) that beginning with the return of the 2020 national census will have the authority to adopt redistricting plans for state Senate districts, state House of Representative districts, and US House of Representatives districts that would have the same force and effect as acts of the General Assembly. The General Assembly will no longer adopt redistricting plans. The IRC will consist of nine members, two from different political parties appointed by the Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court, three (of which no more than two may be from the same political party) appointed by the Governor, and one each appointed by the Speaker of the NC House of Representatives, the leader in the House of Representatives from the political party with the next highest or equal number of members as the party of the Speaker, the President Pro Tempore of the NC Senate, and the leader in the Senate of the political party with the next highest or equal number of members as the part of the President Pro Tempore. Appointees to the IRC may not have held elective office or been a candidate for elective office for a period of four years prior to and after their service on the IRC. The IRC must adopt its plans no later than October 1 of the year following a national decennial census. Requires districts be created to satisfy as much as possible three goals: compactness, to avoid irregularly shaped districts; one person, one vote; and, minimizing the number of split counties, municipalities, and other communities of interest. Prohibits the IRC from considering as part of the plans the political affiliation of voters, voting data from past elections, location of incumbents’ residences, or demographic data from sources other than the census. Racial and ethnic data may be used only to comply with the US Constitution and federal election laws. Proposed changes are subject to voter approval at the November 2012 general election.