Paulsen: Many Factors Play a Role In Developing a Fair Redistricting Plan

Press Release

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the third in a series of four columns by Representative Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) dealing with redistricting in Minnesota. The other columns will cover the following topics: understanding how you are represented, the process of redistricting, and the geographic and political implications of redistricting.

The process of re-drawing legislative lines -- called "redistricting" -- occurs every ten years to accommodate changes in population reflected in the figures compiled by the United States Census Bureau. The committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives that will deal with redistricting has already begun having informational meetings on the topic. We are studying the history of redistricting in Minnesota, population shifts in the state since 1990, and learning how to use the data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the mapping software.

Over the years, state and federal courts -- led by the United States Supreme Court -- have determined a number of factors that play a role in developing a fair redistricting plan: creating districts with close to the ideal population; creating compact and contiguous districts; preserving municipal and county boundaries; and, preserving communities of interest. The ultimate goal is to have legislative and congressional districts that fairly represent all Minnesotans and reflect recent population shifts within the state.

In re-drawing legislative and congressional districts, the courts have ruled that one of the primary ways of ensuring fair representation is to create districts close to the ideal population. The United States Supreme Court ruled in Reynolds v. Sims (1964) that legislative plans should achieve "substantial equality of population among the various districts," and districts should be drawn as close to mathematically equal as is "practicable." The Minnesota State Constitution, Article IV, Section 2, states that Minnesota's legislative districts "shall be apportioned equally."

Already, the U.S. Census Bureau has determined the overall population of the state of Minnesota. And, in the coming weeks, they will release more specific population data that will include a count of the total population and population age 18 and older by detailed race and ethnicity, by census block, census tract, precinct or voting district, city and township, county, and other specialized geographic entities. We already know the ideal population numbers for legislative representation: the ideal population for a Senate District is 73,425, while the ideal population for a House District is 36,713.

In addition to creating districts close to the ideal population, the courts have held that another factor to consider is to create convenient and contiguous districts. This is also required by Article IV, Section 3 of the Minnesota Constitution. This means that all of the precincts in any given district will be connected geographically. As much as possible, the districts will be compact. Additionally, the courts have urged legislators to preserve county, city, and township boundaries as much as possible. However, preserving these boundaries can be difficult when working to achieve the ideal population or to form districts that are convenient and contiguous.

Another consideration the courts have approved when legal developing redistricting plans is attempting to preserve communities of interest. Communities of interest can be construed as anything from rural to urban; from the Red River Valley area of the state, to Frogtown; from reservations, to suburbs; and, from the metropolitan Hispanic community, to the Lake Minnetonka area.

Along these same lines, the courts have ruled that plans should work to prevent the dilution of the voting strength of racial or language minority populations, and in cases where possible, districts should take into account the probability that members of minority populations can be elected. The Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, as amended in 1982, forbids state legislatures from "dispersing or concentrating" minority communities in a manner that prevents those communities from electing their candidates of choice.

Clearly, there are a number of factors taken into account when drawing new congressional and legislative boundaries. If you are interested in learning more about Minnesota's redistricting process, I urge you to log onto the Legislature's Geographic Information System (GIS) website at www.commissions.leg.state.mn.us/gis. The website is an excellent source of information about redistricting, including a history of the process, population figures and timetables. The site will also make redistricting plans and maps of proposed districts available as the legislative bills are introduced.

State Representative Erik Paulsen, serving in his fourth term in the Minnesota House, lives in Eden Prairie with his wife, Kelly, and their three children. He represents most of Eden Prairie and portions of Edina. In addition to serving as chair of the Redistricting Committee, Paulsen serves on the Taxes, Sales & Income Tax Division of Taxes, Rules & Legislative Administration, and Regulated Industries Committees.

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