Source: https://www.ag.state.mi.us/opinion/datafiles/1980s/op05971.htm
Timestamp: 2020-04-01 01:26:28
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Opinion #5971
Opinion No. 5971
Time for Commission on Legislative Apportionment to adopt apportionment plan or plans
The Commission on Legislative Apportionment has 180 days from the date it convenes and 'all necessary census information is available' to discharge its constitutional duty to formulate a reapportionment plan or plans as mandated by Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6.
Honorable David S. Holmes, Jr.
Must the Commission on Legislative Apportionment complete its work of reapportionment of the Legislature within 180 days from the date that it is convened pursuant to the call issued by the Secretary of State, or from March 16, 1981 when the census information was received from the federal government?
In Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, the people have established a Commission on Legislative Apportionment, hereafter the Commission, consisting of eight members and empowered it to reapportion the Senate and the House of Representatives after each federal decennial census. Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, in pertinent part, provides:
'Within 30 days after the adoption of this constitution, and after the official total population count of each federal decennial census of the state and its political subdivisions is available, the secretary of state shall issue a call convening the commission not less than 30 nor more than 45 days thereafter. The commission shall complete its work within 180 days after all necessary census information is available. The commission shall proceed to district and apportion the senate and house of representatives according to the provisions of this constitution. All final decisions shall require the concurrence of a majority of the members of the commission. The commission shall hold puplic hearings as may be provided by law.' (Emphasis added.)
A plain reading of this section indicates that the Secretary of State shall, within 30 days after receipt of the official total population count of the federal decennial census of the state and its political subdivisions, issue a call convening the Commission upon a date certain not less than 30 or more than 45 days thereafter. The official total population count of the state and its political subdivisions was received by the Governor on March 16, 1981. Thus, the Secretary of State issued his call on April 20, 1981, convening the Commission on June 1, 1981.
Because the authority to reapportion the Legislature is vested in the Commission on Legislative Apportionment, a body composed of eight members, as authorized by Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, the Commission may not begin its work until the date selected by the Secretary of State for convening the Commission and only when a quorum of the members of the Commission is present. The Commission may make final decisions only through minutes or resolutions adopted at a meeting, a quorum being present, and receiving the concurrence of the majority of members of the Commission. Tavener v Elk Rapids Rural Agricultural School Dist, 341 Mich 244; 67 NW2d 136 (1954).
In Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, the people have further required that the Commission shall complete its work 'within 180 days after all necessary census information is available.' (Emphasis supplied.)
It must be noted that in the past, the official population count for this state and its political subdivisions and all necessary census information did not arrive simultaneously. Thus, in a letter opinion addressed to Secretary of State Richard H. Austin dated March 2, 1971, the Attorney General concluded that inasmuch as the available block and tract information would not be furnished the Commission for possibly three or four months after the receipt of the official state figures, that the commission had 180 days after the additional information became available to it to complete its work.
The language of Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, p5, sentence 2, is crystal clear. The people have commanded the Commission to complete its work within 180 days after it convenes, a quorum being present, provided that, in addition to the official total population count, 'all necessary census information is available.'
This reading of Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6 is supported by an examination of both the Address to the People and the Debates of the Constitutional Convention.
The following portions of the Address to the People are relevant to your inquiry:
'This is a new section requiring that the house and senate be reapportioned following each decennial census by a commission on legislative apportionment. . . .
'The commission shall convene within 75 days after the adoption of the constitution and after the results of each decennial census are available and shall complete its work within 180 days after all necessary census information is available. The commission shall reapportion and redistrict house and senate seats in accordance with the provisions of the constitution.' (Emphasis added.) 2 Official Record, Constitutional Convention 1961, p 3371.
A review of the Official Record of the Constitutional Convention is both informative and helpful. Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6 was considered by the convention as Committee Proposal 79 and, in pertinent part, the proposal read as follows:
'WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE ADOPTION OF THIS CONSTITUTION, AND ALSO AFTER THE OFFICIAL RESULTS OF EACH FEDERAL DECENNIAL CENSUS OF THE STATE AND ITS POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS ARE AVAILABLE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL ISSUE A CALL CONVENING THE COMMISSION NOT LESS THAN 30 NOR MORE THAN 45 DAYS THEREAFTER. THE COMMISSION SHALL COMPLETE ITS WORK WITHIN 180 DAYS AFTER ALL NECESSARY CENSUS INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE. THE COMMISSION SHALL PROCEED TO APPORTION, DISTRICT, REAPPORTION AND REDISTRICT THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACCORDING TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS CONSTITUTION. NO FINAL DECISIONS SHALL BE MADE EXCEPT BY A MAJORITY OF ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, SAID COMMISSION SHALL HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS AS MAY BE PROVIDED BY LAW.' 2 Official Record, Constitutional Convention 1961, p 2014.
Delegate John Hannah, Chairman of the Committee on Legislative Organization, submitted the following reason in support of the pertinent portion of Committee Proposal 79 quoted above:
'In reapportioning after each federal decennial census, the commission would begin its work when the official census data on the population of the state and its political subdivisions are available. It would have 180 days in which to complete its work.' (Emphasis added.) 2 Official Record, Constitutional Convention 1961, p 2015.
Although the convention debated Committee Proposal 79 and considered a number of amendments not relevant to this issue, there was no further discussion by the convention as to Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, p5.
Thus, it must be concluded that based upon a plain reading of Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6, p5, the pertinent portions of the Address to the People, and the debates of the convention, the Commission, after it convenes, has 180 days after 'all necessary census information is available' in which to complete its work.
With regard to that part of your question dealing with 'when the census information was received from the federal government,' I was advised in an August 10, 1981 letter from the Secretary of State as follows:
'[In] reviewing the data tapes and census maps, our staff noted a series of discrepancies.
'To date we have not received the necessary information we need to resolve all of the discrepancies. In addition to the map/data discrepancies, we have received a copy of a letter from Peter A. Boundane, Acting Chief, Decenniel Census, Bureau of Census, stating that a correction will be made to the official population of the City of East Lansing, Ingham County and the State of Michigan. Over 3,000 additional persons are involved.
'Our staff has asked the Bureau of Census to notify the Apportionment Commission in writing immediately of a revised population count for the City of East Lansing, and therefore of Ingham County and the State of Michigan.'
The conclusion of the Secretary of State is critical on the question of when 'all necessary census information is available' because Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6 also provides:
'The secretary of state shall be secretary of the commission without vote, and in that capacity shall furnish under the direction of the commission, all necessary technical services. . . .'
It is my opinion, therefore, that had 'all necessary census information [been] available' when the Commission on Legislative Apportionment first convened on June 1, 1981, it would have had 180 days thereafter within which to discharge its constitutional duty to formulate a reapportionment plan or plans as mandated by Const 1963, art 4, Sec. 6.
However, based on the advice received from the Secretary of State that 'to date' the Commission on Legislative Apportionment has not 'received the necessary information,' I must conclude that the 180 day period has not, as yet, commenced. I recognize that the data supplied by the Census Bureau is subject to continuing correction and updating and, therefore, conclude that it is for the Secretary of State in the first instance, and ultimately the Commission on Legislative Apportionment itself, to determine when, in the language of the constitution, 'all necessary census information is available.'