Opinion ID: 1453457
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the paulk and linder petitions

Text: In conducting the census, the federal government divided the state into approximately 108,000 geographic units known as census blocks. The Secretary used the census blocks, units for which he was provided population information, as building blocks of his reapportionment plan. The Paulk petition, filed by the Multnomah County Director of Elections, alleged that the Secretary's reapportionment plan is inconsistent with ORS 188.010, because certain district assignments fail to respect existing political and geographic boundaries and in some cases result in the assignment of census blocks to districts to which they are not contiguous. Specifically, because of an error made by the United States Census Bureau in identifying eight census blocks that are wholly within Clackamas County as being in Multnomah County, those eight census blocks were assigned to House Districts that are otherwise entirely within Multnomah County. The Secretary's response to the Paulk petition states: The Secretary intended to respect the county line in the creation of these districts and could have done so without compromising population equality or any other statutory criterion. Therefore, the Secretary agrees that it would have been practicable to respect this existing political boundary and that the plan's failure to do so violates the terms of ORS 183.010(1)(c) [ sic ]. The court accordingly should void the apportionment and return the plan with instructions to assign these eight census blocks to the appropriate district. Further, because of a failure of the United States Census Bureau to follow its own practice that census blocks be wholly within a single county, there is a ninth census block, which straddles the Clackamas-Multnomah County line that has been assigned to a district that is otherwise composed solely of Multnomah County residents. With regard to this census block, the Secretary acknowledges that he intended to observe county lines and could have done so without compromising population equality. As to this error, the Secretary notes: If the court returns the plan to correct the eight census blocks that are incorrectly included in Multnomah County, it would be appropriate to allow the Secretary to adjust the ninth census block if the USCB [United States Census Bureau] divides the block within the time for filing a revised plan. Additionally, the Secretary states that an error in his computer program resulted in the assignment of six census blocks to districts to which they are not contiguous. Each of these census blocks is a floating block; it is an island within a district to which it was not, but apparently should have been, assigned. With regard to the six floating blocks, and any others that he might find, the Secretary states: None of the known floating blocks involves any population, and the Secretary does not anticipate that any other floating blocks he might find would have sufficient population to affect numerical equality if reassigned. These blocks were intended to be included in the surrounding districts, and assigning them to the surrounding district would not affect any statutory criterion. Therefore, the Secretary agrees that it would have been practicable to assign them to the surrounding district and that assigning them to noncontiguous districts violates the provisions of ORS 183.010(1)(a) [ sic ]. The Secretary also agrees that the court should void the apportionment and return the plan to the Secretary with instructions to assign all floating blocks to the appropriate districts. The court accepts the Secretary's concessions and directs him to make the appropriate corrections to the reapportionment. The Linder petition was filed by David and Elisabeth Linder, who are registered voters and residents of Multnomah County and the City of Portland. The petitioners reside in the 2100 block of Northwest Aspen Avenue in a neighborhood known as Willamette Heights. They and their two neighbors on Aspen Avenue have been assigned to House District 7, while all other residents of Willamette Heights have been assigned to adjacent House District 12. No more than ten residents on the 2100 block of Northwest Aspen Avenue are affected by this assignment. The assignment of the Linders and their neighbors to House District 7, rather than House District 12, appears to have been unintentional. The record prepared by the Secretary suggests that the Secretary intended that all residents of Willamette Heights be included in House District 12 and that he believed that his plan accomplished that goal. Seven witnesses testified that Willamette Heights should be in a Portland district, because it shares an urban lifestyle, a political orientation and the transportation lines [and] is geographically isolated from House District 7. The record shows that the Secretary responded that this goal was Met. Willamette Heights in District 12, along with much of remainder of NW Portland. See Exhibit J1, A summary of the main points made in written oral testimony, at p 3 (Comments and Response), Secretary's transmittal letter accompanying filing of reapportionment with the Supreme Court, August 14, 1991. But for the Secretary's erroneous belief that all of Willamette Heights had been kept undivided and assigned to House District 12, he may have drawn the district boundaries differently. The record suggests that, like the Paulk errors, the apparent factual error here was brought to the Secretary's attention after he filed his plan with this court. Because of this apparent error by the Secretary  similar though not identical to the errors referred to earlier in this section  it is appropriate to return the plan to the Secretary for further consideration.