05 LC 25
4088
House
Resolution 949
By:
Representatives Benfield of the
85th,
Oliver of the
83rd,
Day of the
163rd,
and Willard of the
49th
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the Joint Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Study Committee; and for
other purposes.
WHEREAS,
the states must redistrict their legislatures and congressional delegations in
the year following the release of the results of the United States decennial
census; and
WHEREAS,
too frequently, having this task performed by a state legislative body involves
a map drawing process driven by considerations of partisan advantage and
incumbent protection, with results that polarize the electorate, divide
communities of interest, and increase confusion among citizens over where their
districts are located and who represents them; and
WHEREAS,
dissatisfaction with the current legislative and congressional redistricting
process in Georgia has been expressed by many of our citizens as well as the
legislators affected by the process; and
WHEREAS,
some other states now use independent, nonpartisan commissions to implement
legislative and congressional redistricting or to recommend redistricting plans
to their legislatures so as to minimize such problems; and
WHEREAS,
the creation of a similar independent, nonpartisan commission for purposes of
legislative and congressional redistricting in Georgia following the next
decennial census, which commission would follow principles of minimizing the
division of counties and municipalities, creating contiguous and compact
districts, keeping communities of interest together, and refraining from
gerrymandering districts for partisan advantage, is worthy of serious study and
consideration.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA that there is
created the Joint Legislative and Congressional Redistricting Study Committee to
be composed of eight members. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall
appoint three members of the House of Representatives as members of the
committee and shall designate one of such members as cochairperson. The Speaker
of the House of Representatives shall also appoint one additional member of the
committee who shall be a member of Common Cause Georgia. The President Pro Tem
of the Senate shall appoint three members of the Senate as members of the
committee and shall designate one of such members as cochairperson. The
President Pro Tem of the Senate shall also appoint one additional member of the
committee who shall be a staff member of the University of Georgia Carl Vinson
Institute of Government. The cochairpersons shall call all meetings of the
committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any action or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall
receive the allowances provided for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated. Any citizen member shall receive a daily expense allowance
in the amount specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated as well as the mileage or transportation
allowance authorized for state employees. Any member of the committee who is a
state employee shall receive no compensation for his or her service on the
committee, but he or she shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred by him or her
in the performance of his or her duties as a member of the committee in the same
manner as he or she is reimbursed for expenses in his or her capacity as a state
employee. The funds necessary for reimbursement of any state employee shall
come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available to his or her respective
department. All other funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this
resolution shall come from funds appropriated to the House of Representatives
and the Senate. The expenses and allowances authorized by this resolution shall
not be received by any member of the committee for more than five days unless
additional days are authorized. In the event the committee makes a report of its
findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed legislation, if any,
such report shall be made on or before December 1, 2005. The committee shall
stand abolished on December 1, 2005.