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

Heading: Additional Findings of Fact by the Court after Trial

Text: 1. Given the constitutional population equality requirements and the characteristics of the East Bay region, it is not possible to draw five senate districts in that area without dividing either Bristol or the Town of Portsmouth. 2. There is a rational and legitimate basis for dividing Bristol, as opposed to Portsmouth, into three districts. 3. As a result of the downsizing of the General Assembly, membership percentages rose for Republicans and women, and the number of racial minorities remained the same. 4. District 9 consists of all of the Town of Barrington and a portion of Bristol. Driving from Poppasquash to Rumstick Point requires crossing through District 10 and over the bridge, which is a distance of 8.8 miles and takes about 20 minutes. It contains the portions of the East Bay region that are oriented towards the upper Narragansett Bay; the areas of the Providence, Warren, and Bristol railroad, the subsequent trolley service and Route 114 corridor; and the estate areas of Nyatt Point and Rumstick Point in Barrington, and Poppasquash Point in Bristol. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in District 9 is 64.1% Barrington and 35.9% Bristol. 5. Since 1966, when districts were first subject to the one-person, one-vote requirement, a portion of the Town of Warren has always been linked with a portion of northern Tiverton in a senate district. 6. District 10 consists of all of Warren, the northeast portion of Bristol, and a sliver of land about two blocks wide that connects Warren and Bristol. In order to drive from one end of District 10 to the other, one must drive through District 11 and cross two bridges that do not link the district, the Mount Hope Bridge and the Sakonnet Bridge. It contains the shared interest of the Kickemuit River and Mount Hope Bay; and the manufacturing areas of Warren and Tiverton  the portions of the East Bay that have strong historic links to Fall River. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in District 10 is 14.9% Bristol, 42.9% Warren, and 42.2% Tiverton. 7. District 11 consists of the southern portion of Bristol and all of Portsmouth, including the islands to the west of Aquidneck Island, Prudence Island, Hog Island, Patience and Hope. Given the natural makeup of the area, with the islands and the peninsulas, District 11 is as compact as possible. It is oriented to the East passage and contains the region's ferry connections to Prudence Island; the historic town center of Bristol (those portions of the Town have ties to Portsmouth and Aquidneck Island); and the Town of Portsmouth in its entirety. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in District 11 is 34.7% Bristol and 65.3% Portsmouth. 8. District 12 includes all of Little Compton, the southern portion of Tiverton up to Bulgamarsh Road. In order to drive across the district, one must drive through District 10, cross a bridge not used as a link and then drive through the northern part of Portsmouth, which is in District 11. It is an hour and a half trip, round trip. District 12 shares two sides of the Sakonnet River and the region's significant barrier beaches; the water supply resources of the Newport Water System; and two wineries, one in Little Compton and one in Middletown. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population in District 12 is 12.7% Little Compton, 61.3% Middletown, 11.5% Newport and 14.4% Tiverton. 9. District 13 contains the lower portion of the east passage in Newport Harbor with the spillover of boating activity into Jamestown Harbor; 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, especially including those pertaining to health and housing. 10. The Senate Plan has 15 Districts wholly contained within one municipality; 14 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. 11. To conduct his analysis, Professor Rives used 2000 Census data, which encompasses a wide range of demographic, economic and social characteristics. 12. Bristol is a diverse community. Both the Index of Dissimilarity and the Variance Analysis establish that Bristol is more socioeconomically heterogeneous than Portsmouth on a broad range of socioeconomic measures associated with communities of interest. 13. The Towns of Bristol and Warren share a school district. 14. The larger the district, the more difficult it is to know and communicate with individual residents. 15. The larger the district, the less likely it is homogeneous. 16. The more homogeneous a district, the easier it is to represent the residents. 17. It is not reasonable to ignore any segment of the population of a district and expect to get elected. 18. An elected representative has more ties and associates with the city or town in which they live. 19. An elected representative can represent different cities and towns within the district and different communities of interest within the district and still be effective. 20. Cities and towns in the East Bay share many common interests. 21. There are socioeconomic differences within certain East Bay districts. Some parts of a district are more similar to parts of another district than they are parts of their own. 22. In many instances the dissemblances are not significant. 23. Portions of the districts in the Senate Plan are not contiguous based on land. Some portions of each district are contiguous by water. 24. Barrington is not connected by land or bridge to western Bristol in District 9. The shores of those two areas within District 9 are connected, however, over a small area of water. On the basis of shore-to-shore contiguity, that district is contiguous. 25. District 10 is contiguous by applying the concept of shore-to-shore contiguity. Warren and eastern Bristol are not connected by land or bridge to northern Tiverton without either entering another legislative district or another state. The shores of the areas within the district face each other and establish shore-to-shore contiguity. 26. District 11 is contiguous. In addition to shore-to-shore contiguity between Bristol and Portsmouth, they are also connected by a bridge. As it relates to District 12, this Court also finds that it is contiguous based on shore-to-shore contiguity. Southern Tiverton and Little Compton are not connected by land or bridge to Middletown and Portsmouth without leaving the district. The shores of the Sakonnet River establish shore-to-shore contiguity. To the extent that the open seas are needed to establish contiguity between the island portion and geographically isolated portions of District 12, such use is valid in this limited context. 27. Contiguity, geographic and functional compactness, population, socioeconomic factors, municipal boundary lines, neighborhoods, geography, communities of interest and district associations are all relevant considerations in redistricting. 28. No statistical measurement of compactness was utilized by either the plaintiffs' or defendants' witnesses. 29. District 11 alone is compact and constitutional and has not been really challenged by the plaintiffs. 30. District 13, except for the dividing line in Newport, has not been challenged by the plaintiffs and is alone compact and constitutional. 31. When comparing the portions of Tiverton in District 10 with Warren, also in District 10, the only significant differences are the owner-occupied homes and native Rhode Islander variables. The same holds true when comparing the section of Tiverton that is in District 12 with Middletown. 32. The district lines in Bristol divided up some areas of common interest and historical alignments. 33. District 12 has the greatest geographical difference and the least similarities of all the districts and is clearly the weakest. 34. Evidence of gerrymandering was not persuasive. Neither Representative Enos' opinion, namely that he was targeted for a difficult district in order to punish him for not supporting the current leadership and that they favored a Republican senator with an easier district, nor Senator Parella's opinion that each of the female senators had a difficult district was supported by any other testimony or data. There was no evidence of gerrymandering to favor Democrats v. Republicans, incumbents v. non-incumbents, or leadership incumbents v. non leadership incumbents. 35. Each district in the Senate Plan possesses some areas of common interest. 36. Neither the statistical data presented by plaintiffs' expert on the socioeconomic factors nor the dissemblance between Bristol and Portsmouth was convincing on the issue of constitutionality. 37. The Alternative Plan submitted by the plaintiffs is reasonable and rational. 38. The plaintiffs' own expert testified that the Senate Plan was not irrational but stated it was not as good as their plan. 39. The Senate Plan as adopted by the General Assembly is reasonable and rational.