Opinion ID: 2169494
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Parties' Agreed Finding of Facts

Text: 1. The Rhode Island Constitution requires that the membership of the Rhode Island Senate shall be reduced from 50 to 38 Senators (and from 100 to 75 Representatives in the House of Representatives) as of January 7, 2003 ( see Rhode Island Constitution, art. VIII, § 1 (art. VII, § 1), as amended by a majority of the vote in the statewide election on November 8, 1994). 2. To implement the constitutionally required reduction in size of the Senate and House of Representatives, the General Assembly established a Reapportionment Commission. The Reapportionment Commission consisted of 16 members: three from the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker; two from the House of Representatives appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives; three from the Senate appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate; two from the Senate appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate; three members of the general public appointed by the Speaker; and three members of the general public appointed by the Majority Leader of the Senate. 3. The total population in the State of Rhode Island at the time of the redistricting was 1,048,319. Therefore, the ideal Senate district population with 38 senators was 27,587. 4. As a result of the constitutional mandate to reduce the number of senators from 50 to 38, the number of senators in the East Bay region was reduced from seven to five. 5. The Reapportionment Commission held numerous public hearings at which it heard extensive public comment on proposed redistricting plans at hearings throughout the state. [17] The Commission retained consultants, including Kimball Brace of Electronic Data Services (EDS) and H. Reed Witherby, Esq. of Smith & Duggan LLP to advise the Commission. 6. The Commission unanimously recommended that the General Assembly adopt proposed Senate Plan E as amended. 7. The General Assembly then held its own hearings and enacted new House and Senate plans based largely upon the Commission's recommendation. The plans became law on February 20, 2002. See G.L. 1956 §§ 21-1-1 and 21-1-2. 8. As a result of the downsizing, 26 Senate Districts included one incumbent and 12 Senate Districts paired two incumbents. [18] 9. After enactment of the Senate Redistricting Statute, Senator Mary Parella of Bristol was re-elected as a senator from new Senate District 11. [19] 10. After enactment of the Senate Redistricting Statute, Senator David Bates of Barrington was re-elected as a senator from new Senate District 9. 11. After enactment of the Senate Redistricting Statute, Senator Walter Felag of Warren was re-elected as a senator from new Senate District 10. 12. After enactment of the Senate Redistricting Statute, Senator June Gibbs of Middletown was re-elected as a senator from new Senate District 12. [20] 13. After enactment of the Senate Redistricting Statute, Senator M. Theresa Paiva-Weed of Newport was re-elected as a senator from new Senate District 13. [21] 14. Plaintiff, William Enos of Tiverton, a senator in former Senate District 47, chose not to run in the Senate election. Instead, he ran in the new House District 71 and was the successful candidate, beating his opponent, incumbent Joan Quick. 15. Article VIII, section 1 of the Constitution of the State of Rhode Island provides: The senate shall consist of the lieutenant governor and fifty members from the senatorial districts in the state, provided, however, that commencing 2003 the senate shall consist of thirty-eight members from the senatorial districts in the state. The senate shall be constituted on the basis of population and the senatorial districts shall be as nearly as equal in population and as compact in territory as possible. The general assembly hall, after any new census taken by authority of the United States, reapportion the representation to conform to the Constitution of the State and the Constitution of the United States. 16. District 13 contains the City of Newport almost in its entirety and the Town of Jamestown, which has historic ties to Newport through ferry and bridge connections and social services including especially those pertaining to health and housing. 17. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in District 9 is 64.1% Barrington and 35.9% Bristol; the population in District 10 is 14.9% Bristol, 42.9% Warren, and 42.2% Tiverton; the population in District 11 is 34.7% Bristol, 65.3% Portsmouth; and the population in District 12 is 12.7% Little Compton, 61.3% Middletown, 11.5% Newport and 14.4% Tiverton. 18. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in Lincoln makes up 15.1% of District 7; the population of East Providence makes up 8% of District 8; the population in District 16 is 65.7% Central Falls, 23.1% Pawtucket, and 11.3% Cumberland; the population in North Smithfield makes up 5.8% of District 21; the population in North Smithfield makes up 8.8% of District 23; the population in Foster makes up 16.1% of District 24; the population of Warwick makes up 12.2% of District 28; the population of Warwick makes up 4.2% of District 35; and the population in District 33 is 81.8% Coventry, 9.6% East Greenwich, 6.1% West Warwick, and 2.5% Warwick. 19. The Senate Plan has 15 Districts wholly contained within one municipality; Districts wholly contained in two municipalities; six Districts include portions of three municipalities; two Districts include portions of four municipalities; and one District includes portions of five municipalities. 20. Bristol is a diverse community. 21. A census block is approximately 100 people on average. 22. A census block group is approximately 1,000 people on average. 23. A census tract is approximately 4,000 people on average. 24. U.S. Census Bureau Summary File 3 (SF-3) data started to become public in the Summer/Fall of 2002. 25. In the East Bay, the Senate Districts contain six municipalities entirely within a district and seven parts of other communities in the districts totaling 13 subdivisions. 26. In the East Bay, the Smolski plans contain seven municipalities entirely within a district and five parts of other communities in the districts totaling 12 subdivisions. 27. In Smolski alternatives 3 and 4, incumbent Democratic Senator Teresa Paiva-Weed is paired with incumbent Republican Senator June Gibbs. 28. In Smolski alternative 5, incumbent Senator J. Clement Cicilline is paired with incumbent Republican Senator June Gibbs. 29. In all Smolski alternatives, incumbent Democratic Senator Walter Felag is paired with incumbent Republican Senator David Bates. 30. For 26 years, from September 1976 through 2002, high school graduates in Little Compton were bussed to Middletown High School in Middletown for grade 9 through 12. Busses picked up Little Compton high school students at designated bus stops, drove through Tiverton, across the Sakonnet Bridge, through Portsmouth and into Middletown to the Middletown High School. This year Little Compton voted to send Little Compton students to Portsmouth High School. See Joint Statement of Undisputed Facts; see also Defendant's Post-Trial proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law; Plaintiff's response to Defendant's proposed findings of fact.