Opinion ID: 1884792
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: the congressional reapportionment

Text: [¶ 15] Many comments received by the Court addressed the proposed configuration of Maine's two Congressional District. The Court heard from a number of Knox County residents who indicated a preference for remaining in the First District. In addition, a significant issue of geographic size has been raised regarding the Court's proposed configuration of District Two. It was represented to the Court that District Two is the largest Congressional District east of the Mississippi River and that the Court's proposal would significantly increase its size and create an additional travel burden on the representative from the Second District. To the extent that the Court can avoid adding a substantial geographic increase and burden on travel, we must attempt to do so. [¶ 16] Therefore, the Court has crafted a new configuration that would reduce the added square miles and travel challenges that resulted from the Court's proposed plan, while at the same time fulfilling the Court's responsibility to minimize divisions of counties, municipalities, and communities of interest. We have done so by dividing only one county, Kennebec, and dividing it in such a way that no municipalities are divided and communities of interest are kept together. The Court's final plan meets several objectives: (a) It reduces the population overall range of the Districts from 41 to 23; (b) It reduces the added miles and travel burden in District Two; (c) It divides only one county; (d) It preserves communities of interest as much as possible; (e) It moves fewer communities into different districts; and (f) It maintains the long-standing presence of Knox County in District One.