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....... **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 



### ionorablo Joe C. Rtmphrey, **Ctmirwn**

Bouro OS aeprssent8t1rer 49th Legirl8ture bl8tiU. **?U8S**

Ieglsl8tlOn, **re** Ion 28 o? Artiale 8titutlon.

Committee on Contriote, I

### would you in **reterenae** 

### d8tive Iledi#trlotdby theHonorsAle

0given 0merEenoy rtatur by

oor Of the ilOUset0 t8blO tion 08rried by 8 rate or

*The question whlah **I 8m** **direotlng to**  **you** is this; C8n thete~e~rtlwo t8blo 8bil? Whiab the Constitution 

### roqnlroo theLsgi818ture to en8att
Beotlon 28 ofArtiole 3, of the Conmtitutlon of %x811, proridem for the re-8pp0rtionmont **of** the Legi8l8tUre into fJen8torirl8nd Reprement8-Eonor8kle Jos Enmphray - p* 0

tire dlstriot8 iu 8OaOrd8uaa with the **provisions** at 

### Seotioas22 8nd 26 ofArtlole 3. **Sinoe** seatlon 28 st8tas. 'TheLegisl8ture sh811, rt its first session rttor publlo8tion of e8oh

### United **St8tes deaenni81**  **aensus, 8pportlon**  **the** State Into 68n8tori81 8ud RepresOnt8tive dlstr~eta, 8gree8bly **to the**  **provi8ion8 of**  **Seatioam 88**  

### 8nd **86 of**  

### thlm 

### Artiole* l

### a+, ’ I would like to 8sk of 

### your dep8rbent 8 

### oeoond question1 n8melyr does this 

### Mot&On Ete8n **th8t th.**  **Oblig8tiOn Of**  

### Hdi8triatin6 **the Skto**  

### restonly8ad OutirelT 011tbo first MsdOU **8ftor the**  

### United **Sktes** 

### d808uni81 **eenmr h8s**  bean taken, or 1s it 8 aontlnuing obligtlou at SPah **session** ot tbeLegisl8ture, 

### 8tterthe 

### aensus **h8s** 

### been t8ken, to

### redintriat the **Bt8te un**  til 

### awih tire 8s the St8te h8s been redistrlatedt'

Artlale **III,** Seotlon 11, of **the** Constitution of Tex8s **is in**  **part 8S**  t0110ws:

"'&8Ch Rouse **may**determine **the rules**  **of its** 
own proaeedlngs* l*a"
**Seotionm** 26, 28 and 22 ofArtfcle III of **the** Constltution 8re pertinent to four Inquiries, **and 8re**  **as fOllOw8t** 

“Sea. 211. The Btste sh811be divided into Senatorial Dlstrlats of aontiguous territory **aa car&ink**  to the number of qualitiod eleotors, as nearly 8s may be, **and each**  dlstriot shall be **en** titled to eleat **one** Senrtor; and uo single county sh811 be entitled to **more than**  **one Sen8tor.** 

**“ Sea.**  26. **The members** **of the**  louse of **Repre** sentatives sh811 be 8pportioned 8mong **the** several oountlen, 8aoording to **the nUISbOr** **Of popul8tioa**  **In e8ahr**  as nearly **as** m8y be, on 8 r8tio obt8ined by dividing **the** papul8tion of **the St8te,**  **as 8soer**  **t8ined by**  **the most**  **reaent** Dnited St8tos aonsusl by **the number**  at **members** of whiah the Bousa **I.8** aoarpasad;prorlded, **th8t whenever**  **8 8fnglO**  **aounty** h8s 

### mtfioient popul8tion tobe entitled ta 8 2epresent8tlrer **such aounty**  shallbe 

### farmedIntO **8 sep8r8te**  **Represent8tlVe Dirtriot,**  **8nd when**  

### two
ormore aountles 8re required to**E8k8** up the r8tio **of represent8tion,**  **suoh** oountles shall be **aontie 00~s**  **to** e8eh other; 8nd When **8ny one**  GOUntJ h8sHonor8bl@ Joe 

### numphrey - P* 3



### IbcO **th8n sUf?iOibnt**  **pOprl8tiOU** 

### to be ontitled 

### to **oue or**  **more Repreaent8tires,**  suab **Representative or**  **nepreuUt8tiYos** 8h811be **8ppOrtiOned** to wOh **OOUlltJ,** 

### and**iOr 8II7**  sUl'p1U8Of J'OJIU'l8tiOn it m87 be joined in 8 ~epreronktire Distrlat **with** 8ny **other** Oontiguoam **oouatl** 

### or ooantlss.

**’ 00s:**  **w. th0**  **~e~Sl8tUWb** sh811, **8t** 

### its **first wsmfon**  8tter 

### the publication of e8ah Unl

### tedSkte8 deoenni81 **eens~a, 8ppOrtion**  **the St8ta**  **intO** &tl¶8tal'181 **8nd** &3pl'@s~t8tiY@ distFiOts, 8groerblf te tha prorldon8 of 8e0tiono 96 8nd **26 of**  

### this **Artiale;** 8nd until **tho nsltt**  **deaenni81** oensus, rhen **the** firat 8ppartionment sh811 be m8d9 by tboLegisl8tur4, **the** 8t8tO sh811be, 8nd it 

### imhereby dirided iuto Sen8tori81 8nd **Repre sent8tiTe**  dlstriatr 8s pratided by 8n **ordtn8noo** of the **Convention** on tb8t **aubjeat. ’** 
8aoh of those prOYisiOus ism8nd8tOry in tom 8nd in substanao, iOr tbeJ use the f8mili8r 18IIgU8geOf OOm8nd. In **the** nurtureof **the** thing tobe done,hoverer, the Constitution 1s not self-en8ating, nor could ftbe, but **the** duty of re-8pportioalng the 6t8te Into Sen8torirl 8nd Sopresenktire distriats is expressly Imposed upon **the** Legislature. It Is, of aourse, true the ConstitutiOn prorides no pW8lty or aonsequenae whatoYer for **the** f8llure of **the** Legiol8ture to ober thism8nd8ter yet the Legisl8ture is powerless to 8bsolYe itself from **the performance**  **of that**  duty by 8ny 8at Wb8tsOeVer.

**SO th8tr**  **you 8re**  **respeotfUl1~** adrfsed **the** Legislature. under Its own rules of proaeedlngs)I!I8J **t8hl43** a r8dfstriOting bill, but it **oannot** bl muoh p8rli8mentary prooedure deprlre itself of thepower to oomplf, nor rellere itself of **the** duty Of oomplylng **with** uld prorislons of thoConstitution **other th8n**  **by** p8ssing some tom of redlstriatlng bill.

IOU **8re** further 8drlsed with resgeat toYour seoond **quastion t.h8t**  **the** 18ngurge of 8eatiOn **28, fbo**  **bgisl8tUro sb811,**  8t ita first l

emslon 

### 8fterthe

publle8tioa of e8oh United St8tes **beaennlal** 

### aenwn' **is not**  8 **liniktion upon**  **the power**  **of the**  **Legis** 18ture, 

### butr8ther is 8n 8ooentu8tlon ot the iaportanoe of **the rubfeat**  **matter of**  **the** Section. In 8nswer toyour soooud question, therefore, **you 8re**  8dYised **th8t this**  **SeOtiOtI** mean6 **the** redfstrlatfng of the Stata is 8 continuing duty of **the** La~isl8taro until such time as the Stata hns been redlstrlated. 'I8also refer you to our **Opinion** Ro. O-4899, 8 oopy of **whlah** JOIIeridently **b8te.**Boaor8blo **Joe Iismphroy**  **-** p* 4 

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