Report Title:

Multi-Member Districts

 

Description:

Amends the state constitution to establish the year 2002 and every 10th year thereafter as reapportionment years and to require the representatives' districts to be reapportioned into 24 2-member districts, and 1 3-member district.

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1441

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH 2002 AND EVERY TENTH YEAR THEREAFTER AS REAPPORTIONMENT YEARS AND TO REQUIRE THAT STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS BE REAPPORTIONED INTO MULTI-MEMBER DISTRICTS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The purpose of this Act is to propose amendments to the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to establish 2002 and every tenth year thereafter as reapportionment years and to require the reapportionment commission to reapportion the state house of representatives' legislative districts into multi-member districts.

SECTION 2. Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended as follows:

1. By amending section 1 to read:

"REAPPORTIONMENT YEARS

Section 1. The year [1973, the year 1981,] 2002 and every tenth year thereafter shall be reapportionment years."

2. By amending section 4 to read:

"APPORTIONMENT AMONG BASIC ISLAND UNITS

Section 4. The commission shall allocate the total number of members of each house of the state legislature being reapportioned among the four basic island units, namely: (1) the island of Hawaii, (2) the islands of Maui, Lanai, Molokai and Kahoolawe, (3) the island of Oahu and all other islands not specifically enumerated, and (4) the islands of Kauai and Niihau, using the total number of permanent residents in each of the basic island units and computed by the method known as the method of equal proportions[;] and shall provide for representation in the state house of representatives by twenty-four two-member districts and one three-member district; except that no basic island unit shall receive less than one member in each house."

SECTION 3. The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:

"Shall the year 2002 and every tenth year thereafter be reapportionment years and shall the reapportionment commission be required to reapportion the state house of representatives' legislative districts into twenty-four two-member districts and one three-member district?"

SECTION 4. Constitutional material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New constitutional material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This amendment shall take effect upon compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

INTRODUCED BY:

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