Opinion ID: 2598744
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the equal protection clause of the united states constitution

Text: The plan is presumptively unconstitutional because its population deviation is 11.79%. Any redistricting plan that contains a population deviation above 10% is prima facie discriminatory. This is in accordance with the constitutional goal of one person, one vote. According to the Commission, Plan L91 is the result of an attempt to keep together traditional neighborhoods and communities of interest while avoiding oddly shaped districts. The deviation in population results from the decision to maintain the integrity of Madison and Fremont Counties. The Equal Protection Clause requires states to `make an honest and good faith effort to construct districts ... as nearly of equal population as is practicable.' Smith v. Idaho Commission on Redistricting, 136 Idaho 542, 38 P.3d 121 (2001)(quoting Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533, 577, 84 S.Ct. 1362, 1390, 12 L.Ed.2d 506, 536 (1964)). A redistricting plan that deviates more than 10% in population among the districts is prima facie unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. Brown v. Thomson, 462 U.S. 835, 842-43, 103 S.Ct. 2690, 2695-96, 77 L.Ed.2d 214, 221-22 (1983). The ultimate inquiry, after a prima facie case of discrimination has been shown, is whether the legislature's plan `may reasonably be said to advance a rational state policy' and, if so, `whether the population disparities among the districts that have resulted from the pursuit of this plan exceed constitutional limits.' Id. at 843, 103 S.Ct. at 2696, 77 L.Ed.2d at 222 (quoting Mahan v. Howell, 410 U.S. 315, 328, 93 S.Ct. 979, 987, 35 L.Ed.2d 320, 332 (1973)). In the 1980's, this Court held that a redistricting plan violated the Equal Protection Clause, stating that [a] plan with larger disparities in population ... creates a prima facie case of discrimination and therefore must be justified by the State. Hellar v. Cenarrusa, 106 Idaho 586, 589, 682 P.2d 539, 542 (citing Swann v. Adams, 385 U.S. 440, 444, 87 S.Ct. 569, 572, 17 L.Ed.2d 501, 504-05 (1967)). Unlike Plan L66, for which the state presented no evidence to justify the 10.69%, the Commission does seek to justify the greater disparity in L91 as the result of an advancement of rational state policies. The Commission asserts that L91 advances the policy contained in Article III, § 5 of the Idaho Constitution and Idaho Code § 72-1506(5) by not splitting Madison and Fremont Counties. The second policy advanced is that the plan honors Idaho Code § 72-1506(2) by preserving traditional neighborhoods and communities of interest. Clearly there is a state interest in keeping counties whole. E.g., I.C. § 72-1506(5). Keeping Madison and Fremont Counties whole is consistent with that policy. However, both Bingham and Bannock counties have been split into three districts. The political integrity of Madison and Fremont Counties has been addressed. The same principle has not been applied to Bingham and Bannock Counties. The second policy advanced by the Commission is that Plan L91 satisfies the goal set forth in I.C. § 72-1506(2) by preserving traditional neighborhoods and local communities of interest. The Commission admits that Plans L76 and L69 both contained population deviations of less than 10%, but that these plans would have divided Fremont County by placing Island Park in District 35, a geographically large district that stretches from Challis to near Island Park. These plans were proposed, but the residents in Madison and Fremont County wished to retain Island Park within their district, and the Commission felt that the 11.79% population deviation was acceptable in light of this decision. It is true that maintaining traditional neighborhoods and local communities is a goal under I.C. § 72-1506(2). However, it appears that the communities of interest of Madison County and Fremont County have been considered over those of Bingham and Bannock County, which argue that Plan L91 splits traditional neighborhoods and local communities within their districts. This is particularly notable in light of the fact that the split of Island Park would have encompassed some 828 people, whereas the three-way splits of Bingham and Bannock counties involve substantially more people. This Court ordered the Commission to submit any proposed plans that contained a population deviation of less than 10%. The Commission attached twenty-one such plans that were considered by the Commission. The population disparity in these plans varies from as low as 4.54% (Plan L06) to as high as 9.98% (Plan L68). The Commission sent out public notices regarding many plans, including plans L59-66, L69, and L76. It appears that Plans L69 and L76 were the two plans most seriously considered by the Commission. The population deviation in these two plans was 9.98% and 9.71%, respectively. These plans were not adopted, the Commission argues, because they would have split Fremont County by placing Island Park in District 35, and the residents of Madison and Fremont County preferred not to split the counties. Some redistricting plans that have been drafted to maintain the integrity of political subdivisions have withstood constitutional scrutiny despite population deviations in excess of 10%. See, e.g., Mahan v. Howell, 410 U.S. 315, 93 S.Ct. 979, 35 L.Ed.2d 320 (1973). In Mahan, the United States Supreme Court upheld a redistricting scheme with a population deviation of 16.4% because it found that the plan at issue maintained the integrity of political subdivisions. In the present case, however, it appears that the integrity of some political subdivisions has been maintained, while the political integrity of others has not been maintained. The justification for the deviation is not sufficient when it is based upon a policy that has not been applied consistently. This inequality without sufficient justification does not withstand scrutiny even in light of Mahan.