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1966-3595rRESOLUTION Noe 3595 _ ~3 RES~;LUi'ION KELP TING TO MTN~'ESOTA LEGISLATN'E REAPPORTIONMENT WHEEtEAS, the legislature of the State of Minnesota was last reapportioned by an Act passed in 1959, which Act was based largely upon the 1950 federal census, but which contained modifications which were made .in order to reflect changes in population which hael occurred after 19508 and W,EiEREASe there ise therefore9 a precedent for the use of known population changes occurring after such a federal decennial census' in reapportioning state legislative districts, and WHERF.,ASe such legislative reapportionment Act of 1959 has been declared by the United States District Court to be invalid because it contained gross malapportion~ meet among the legislative districts of the state, violating the equal protection provisions of the 11th Amendment to the United States Constitutions and WHF~ftEPSe there is: not .now a .valid legislative apportionment Act in effect in the State of Minnesotae-and WHERF.,ASe the laws of Minnesota provide for elections to be held during 1966 to .elect the entire state legislature, and WHEt~PSe communities throughout Minnesota experiencing significant growths including the City of Richfield, obtained special federal mid-decade censuses in 19659 establishing their official population as of April 1' 1965, and WHEREAS, such official censuses show that there has been a continuing rapid increase in the .population of suburban communities encompassing Minneapolis and. St, Paul, including the City of ftichfielde and WHEREAS, estimates of the Metropolitan Planning Commission, an official agency of the State of Minnesotae show that by 1965 there had been a population increase in the Twin City metropolitan area of 2108000 people since 1960' and WAEREPSe the population estimates of the Metropolitan Planning Commissions when compared with the 1965 federal census conducted in the same..communities8 show an extremely-high degree of accuracy and reliability, and ~IEREPSe the Governor of Minnesota has appointed a commission to prepare a proposed plan for legislative reapportiorimexrt, and T~IHEREASe such Commission has determined not to recognize the actual population facts disclosed by either the official federal census of 1965 or the official reports of the Metropolitan ?'lann3.ng Commission9 and WHEREAS, some other propasals for legislative. rea~iportionment have similarly failed to take into account the-known population in rapidly growing communities in our seven county region and elsewhere throughout Minnesotae and WHEREPSe court decisions have recognized the propriety of reflecting actual changes in population occurring after federal decennial censuses, in legislative reapportiormiente and (continued) «-Z- TidHEREAS~ reapportionment proposals which have .been made for Minnesota have tended to propose legislative districts in areas. of growing population which vary from the ideal legislative districts. populat.ion~or~ tha high sides based upon the 1960 census .while.. districts 3n. areas. of slow...growth, or. declining population9 are made up so as to. vary on the low side from..the ideal.. district population' and ~IEftEAS, any such construction of legislative districts would result in immedim ate and growing ma~.apportioxnment ~ and T~HEE€F.,~.S, the u.se of the out-dated 19b0 popt~.ataon statistics in reapportiomnent in the Twin Gity suburban area requires the frequent.'dividing of municipalities which could be avoided if the actual popnlation'ef such municipalities were to be used' and t~EREAS, an„y legislative reapportionment should take into account existing voting precinct.iines where.this conveniently may be done without resultibg in popu- lation imbalances and WHEREAS, historically, senate districts in true City of Minneapolis have not been su`b=div3.ded into separate house districts because of the. community interest within districts the practical difficulty encountered in making arbitrary. divisions within smal]. geographical areas, and the population. imbalance which tend to occur as a result of the sub-dividing of such compact districts and IEREAS, th®~® same factors are also .present in the suburban areas of Hennepin Countjr,' "-and. T~HEREA.S, any reapportionment should reflect the actual population now existing for reasons of fairness and. democratic equality, so as to avoid the evil of malm apportiornnerit which is prohibited by the United States and Minnesota constitutionsa NE?'~+T THEREFORE, BE IT R~'SOLVLD by the City Council of the City of Richfield9 Minnesota9 as follows: 1. This council strongly urges the Governor and Legislature of the State of Minnesota,- in considering. reapportionment of 1 egislative districts of the state, t® take-the following factors into considerations a. Legislative districts should be constructed so that they reflect the actual population of municipalities as disclosed by the latest official census s® as to avoid continued malapportionment. Greater equity in legislative apportionment is achieved by recognising.known population changes than by ignoring them., b, By the use of known population facts, in the suburban communa.ties near the Twin Cities, maximum effort should be made to respect municipal boundary lines in the. construct.idn of legislative districts when. this can be done w3.thout serious variation from the population of .ideal l®g~.slative di.st~icts. (For examples By .the use of the 1965 population census for the City of Richfield and the adjacent Font Snelling .area there is-sufficient.population to.form a single senate district which wosl.d vary sli htly below the ideal district population as it should, because it is a growing area. c.~ Legislative district boundaries should be so constructed that voting precincts are not unnecessarily divided. d. Senate districts should not be sub-divided into separate house districts in the compact suburban areas of Henn®pi.n County but she same practice flf having two at-large house seats in each senate district should be followed thrflughout th e entire county. es Legislative districts in areas of a.ncreasing population should contain fewer peAple than the ideal legislative district, while legislative districts h -areas which are • experiencing little growth9 or are experiencing population de® cline9 should be larger than. the ideal distriet® Let copies of this resoluti©n be transmitted to the Gogernvr of tY~o ~ta$e of Minnesota, to tYie legislators elected to represent the City of Riehfield~ and to the Heririepiu County League of Municipalities, and.such other officials and 3.riteat~ested persons and organa.~ations -as. the Mayor shall determi~ie. to be appropriate. Passed by the Gity Council of the City of Richfields Minnesota9 this-28th-day of Marche 1966Q. . ,t,~.1 ~ Qs~.~ tanley W, Olso May®r ATT~T a A Edward J, o C erk 1