Opinion ID: 1884792
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Suggestions Resulting in Changes to the Court's Proposed Senate Plans

Text: [¶ 7] Aroostook County comprises only two Districts. A concern was raised regarding the Court's proposed configuration of those districts because of the size of District 35 and the substantial distance involved in representing that district, in contrast with the much more compact area of proposed District 34. The Court concluded that the concerns raised at the public hearing directly addressed the Constitutional requirement of compactness. After careful consideration, the Court has reconfigured the two districts for Aroostook County, roughly along an east-west line. This configuration was adopted because: (a) It better meets the constitutional requirement of compactness; (b) The population ratio of the two districts is better balanced with the new lines; (c) The change has no effect on bordering districts; and (d) At the public hearing, no one objected to the proposal of the east-west line, including the representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties, each of whom were specifically asked to comment on the recommendation.
[¶ 8] The Court's proposed plan split a community of interest by placing Norway and Paris in different districts, Districts 13 and 14. A suggestion was presented that would place both towns in the same district, District 13, while maintaining population parity in Districts 13 and 14. The Court has accepted that suggestion with minor modifications to maintain population parity. The suggestion was accepted because: (a) It returned a significant community of interest to a single district; (b) The changes have no effect on other districts; (c) The population distribution for Districts 13 and 14 as reconfigured fell well within the mean; and (d) At the public hearing, no one objected to the reconfiguration.
[¶ 9] Portland is the only municipality that is larger in population than a single district. [2] It must by necessity be split into two districts, one of which must be wholly contained within Portland. ME. CONST. art. IV, pt. 1, § 2; art. IV, pt. 2, § 2. The Court established a roughly north-south line to accomplish that goal, taking into account requests from the public filed earlier with the Court, including a request that the City of South Portland not be placed into a district with the City of Portland. [¶ 10] The City of Portland, while not objecting to the external boundaries of the two Portland districts, has represented that their precinct lines would be more easily administered if the court adopted an east-west line. The Mayor of the City of Portland also represented that a change from the tradition of an east-west line would be cumbersome and expensive for the city. A proposal was presented at the public hearing on June 23 that would maintain the external boundaries of the two Portland districts established by the Court's proposal, but would divide the city along an east-west axis. The proposal has a slightly better population variance than the Court's proposal and creates a compact and contiguous configuration. The suggestion to divide Portland along an east-west axis was accepted because: (a) It brings the populations of Districts 8 and 9 into nearly total parity; (b) It creates compact and contiguous districts; (c) It does not change the external boundaries of the districts and does not affect any districts other than Districts 8 and 9; and (d) It reduces the prospects of additional costs and administrative difficulties for the City of Portland.