The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-04
FORMER GOVERNOR PROPOSES PLAN FOR
SECURING REINFORCEMENT OF STATE

members of the senate and of the
house OF representatives and to APP
pOrtiCnment of the same.
BE it resolved by the legislature OF
the state of Florida:
The following amendment TO the
Constitution of the state Of Florida is
hereby agreed to and shall be sub
mitted to the electors CT the state at
the general election to be held on the
first Tuesday after the first Monday
in November, A. ID. 1922, for ra,tica
ton or rejection:
Section 3. The legislature that
shall meet A. d. 1923, and in A. ID.
1881, and those that shall meet every
ten years thereafter, shall apportion
the representation in the senate, the
whole number of senators not to ex-
coed thirty-eight members; and at
the same time shall apportiOn the
representation in the house of repre-
SCntatives. TO each Of the fdhnr
counties having the largest popula-
ton, as determined by the preceding
federal census, there shall be appor-
toned three representatives; to each
CT the eight counties having the next
largest population, there shall be APP
portlCned two representatives,; to
each of the remaining counties thel
shall be apportioned one representa-
tiVes. No county shall have more
than three representatives. Every
county shall have at least one repre-.
sentative.
Section of Article VII reads now
as follows: Section 3. The legis-
lature that shall meet A d. 1887, anG
those that shall meet every ten years
thereafter, shall apportian the repre-
sentation in the senate, the whole
number of senator's not to exceed
tlirty-two members; and at the same
time shall also apportion the repre-
sentation in the house Of representa-
tives, the whole number of represen-
tatives not to exceed sixty-eight mem
bers. The representation in the house
of representatives shall be apportion-
ed among the several counties as
nearly as possible according to p0pu-
lation; Provided, each county Shall
have one representative at large in
the house of representatives. and no
county shall have. more than three
representatives.
1t will IL observed that the mem
bership is limited, on apportionment
TO Sc members in the house The SEN
ate is limited to 80 members. its
present number. 1t will also be OBJ
served that the apportionment is
based on the state census. Should the
state census be preferred as basis
for apportionment, the proposed
amendment could be easily changed.
A. the general election, 1900 Sec
ton of Article VII was amended so
as to provide for the admission of
new counties at sessions of the legis
lature held in years other than those
in which appointments We're made.
ANY new county that may be Great
ed shall be entitled to one member in
the house of Representatives in eX-
cess of the limit prescribed in Section
of this article until the apporton-
ment following next thereafter etc
This explains the reason for having
row ever 6S members in the house.
no apDCrtionment having been made
since 1887.
In the proposed amendment, the
number of senators is increased from
30 to 3S; in the house. four counties
Shall have three representatives,
eight counties two, all other counties
one each
ALBERT w. GILCHRIST.