2023 Wyoming Statutes › Title 28 - Legislature › Chapter 2 - Legislative Districts of Members › Section 28-2-116 - Legislative Districts Generally; Definitions; Legislative Findings.

28-2-116. Legislative districts generally; definitions; legislative findings.
(a) As used in W.S. 28-2-116 through 28-2-119:
(i) "Census block" means a geographic area of the state of Wyoming specified by the United States bureau of the census in accordance with the 2020 decennial census and identified uniquely by census block number;
(ii) "Voter tabulation district" or "VTD" means a geographic area of the state of Wyoming specified by the United States bureau of the census in accordance with the 2020 decennial census and identified by Wyoming VTD name and number;
(iii) "This act" means W.S. 28-2-116 through 28-2-119.
(b) As used in W.S. 28-2-118 and 28-2-119 unless the context otherwise requires:
(i) "Blocks" designates the entire census block as numbered by the United States bureau of the census for the 2020 decennial census within the named VTD and county is a part of the legislative district;
(ii) "(Name of) County" designates either that the entire named Wyoming county is within the legislative district or that a portion of the named Wyoming county as specified is within the legislative district;
(iii) "District (number)" designates the legislative district number assigned to a house or senate legislative district from which a legislator is elected under this act;
(iv) "VTD" designates either that the entire voter tabulation district as named by the United States bureau of the census for the 2020 decennial census within the named county is a part of the legislative district or that a portion of the named voter tabulation district within the named county as specified is a part of the legislative district.
(c) W.S. 28-2-118 creates legislative districts for the Wyoming senate and W.S. 28-2-119 creates legislative districts for the Wyoming house of representatives.
(d) The secretary of state shall maintain and make available for public inspection in a hardcopy or electronic format, or both, during regular business hours:
(i) The United States P.L. 94-171 data for the 2020 decennial census received by that office from the United States bureau of the census; and
(ii) The list and geographic description of the legislative districts for the Wyoming senate as printed in "Attachment B" as referenced in W.S. 28-2-119(c) and enacted into law and the list and geographic description of the legislative districts for the Wyoming house of representatives as printed in "Attachment A" referenced in W.S. 28-2-119(b) and enacted into law.
(e) The legislature finds that:
(i) The deviations in population between legislative districts in this act are required to recognize county boundaries, communities of interest, common economic interests and historical representative practices in Wyoming;
(ii) This act further recognizes the difficulties in representation caused by geographic boundaries and the rural nature of Wyoming;
(iii) This act keeps whole more political subdivisions than other redistricting plans considered by the Wyoming legislature;
(iv) Through keeping political subdivisions and communities of interest as whole as possible, this act provides for effective and efficient election administration;
(v) The residents of Sheridan county school district number three are a community of interest with the residents of Johnson county through shared institutions and political history. The residents of Sheridan county school district number three typically conduct their business in Johnson county and have a shared economic interest with Johnson county. The residents of Sheridan county school district three have a shared educational interest with Johnson county. These connections and communities of interest between residents of Sheridan county school district three and Johnson county do not exist between the residents of Sheridan county school district three and Campbell county;
(vi) The factors listed in this subsection that create population deviations among legislative districts in this act are all legitimate considerations reasonably incident to the effectuation of a rational state policy.