Opinion ID: 1933405
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Richford Petition

Text: Petitioners from Richford challenge the Legislature's redistricting of the Senate, with respect to the Essex-Orleans district, which includes all of the towns within Essex and Orleans counties, and one town each from Franklin, Caledonia, and Lamoille counties. Richford is the lone Franklin County town in the district. Petitioners contend that placing Richford in the Essex-Orleans district violates Vermont constitutional and statutory criteria concerning county lines and common interests. See Vt. Const. ch. II, § 18 (in establishing senatorial districts, General Assembly shall seek to adhere to county boundaries); 17 V.S.A. § 1907 (board shall apportion the senatorial seats among the counties or combinations of counties); 17 V.S.A. § 1903(b). We dismiss the petition. The situation here is similar in some, but not all, respects to that in the Montgomery petition challenging its House district. Like Montgomery, Richford is a Franklin County town placed in a district with towns on the other side of the spine of the Green Mountains. Richford is equidistant from the major population centers of Franklin and Orleans counties, St. Albans and Newport, and there is direct access by State Route 105 to both population centers, as well as a more circuitous route through Canada to Newport. Nevertheless, the direct route over the mountains to Newport is difficult during the winter, and, consequently, the ties between Richford and towns in Orleans or Essex counties are minimal. Further, as noted, the weekly and daily newspapers of Franklin and Orleans counties generally do not cover local events outside their own county. Petitioners first contend, as did the Montgomery petitioners, that it would not offend equal protection requirements if Richford were placed with the Franklin County district, and the other districts were left as they are. This would create an overall deviation of 21.8%, 5.3% greater than the 16.3% deviation in the current plan. It would leave the Essex-Orleans district with 32,228 persons, 14.1% below the Senate apportionment standard. We acknowledge that the difference between the plans is not great, but, as noted, the United States Supreme Court has indicated that an overall deviation of 16.4% approaches tolerable limits. Mahan v. Howell, 410 U.S. at 329, 93 S.Ct. at 987. We have rejected an overall deviation of 25.3% for Senate districts. In re Senate Bill 177, 130 Vt. at 370, 294 A.2d at 659. More important, the Legislature's burden is to maintain equality of representation ... as nearly as it is practicable. Vt. Const. ch II, § 73. An overall deviation of 21.8%, under the circumstances facing the Legislature, was inconsistent with that command. Petitioners also argue that the Essex-Orleans senatorial district violates constitutional and statutory redistricting criteria. Specifically, they point out that our constitution requires the Legislature to adhere to boundaries of counties, Vt. Const. ch. II, § 18, and that 17 V.S.A. § 1907 requires that Senate districts be made up of counties or combinations of counties. They see in these provisions a prohibition against crossing county lines. We have already rejected this position, In re Senate Bills 177 & 83, 132 Vt. at 286, 318 A.2d at 160, and see no reason to change our holding. County lines must, if necessary, give way to the higher priority of equal representation by population. See id. Second, they argue that placing Richford with towns in the current district violates the nonnumerical requirements of Chapter II, § 18 (geographical compactness and contiguity) and 17 V.S.A. § 1903(b)(2) (recognition of patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties and common interests). Despite the similarities between this petition and the Montgomery petition, we are persuaded that the differences between them warrant dismissal of this petition. Here, we are dealing with the creation of Senate districts, which, because of the proportion of senators to representatives, are necessarily five times the size of representative districts. Consequently, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the same level of common interests among individual towns within Senate districts that is attainable among towns within House districts. Two-member senatorial districts contain approximately 37,500 people, which, in most cases, will involve many towns in our rural state. Indeed, the Essex-Orleans senatorial district is comprised of forty-one towns from five different counties. Considering that the common interests among the residents of towns within Senate districts will invariably be diluted to some extent, the State's limited showing of common interests within the current Essex-Orleans senatorial district carries more weight. The district is geographically compact and contiguous, but separated by a mountain range. There is road access between Richford and the rest of the district. Also important is the historical treatment of Richford in Senate representation inasmuch as the legislative command is to recognize and maintain existing patterns with respect to nonnumerical factors, including political ties. 17 V.S.A. § 1903(b)(2); see also 17 V.S.A. § 1903(b)(1) (Legislature should preserve existing political subdivision lines insofar as practicable). Richford has been a member of the Essex-Orleans senatorial district for twenty years, and past and present senators have met with Richford residents and worked with them on a number of issues. We do not mean to imply that there is a presumption of common interests when the district is long standing. We merely point out that the master's findings recognize some political interaction within the district over the years, and that the Legislature could consider this fact in deciding to keep Richford in a district with towns with which it has long been associated. Finally, there is evidence of consideration of alternatives in response to Richford's request. The Senate committee considered moving Caledonia County towns into the Essex-Orleans district to make up for the loss of Richford, but the ripple effects were not manageable. Based on all of the above considerations, we conclude that petitioners have failed to show that there was no rational or legitimate reason for placing Richford in the Essex-Orleans senatorial district.