Opinion ID: 109179
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The State's Constitution and Its Statutes

Text: North Dakota's original Constitution, adopted at the State's admission into the Union in 1889, is still in effect. It has been amended, of course, from time to time. Since 1918, § 25 thereof has read: The legislative power of this state shall be vested in a legislature consisting of a senate and a house of representatives. N. D. Const. Art. II, § 25. That legislative power for 70 years has been subject to the initiative and the referendum. Ibid. The Constitution has further provided that the State's senate shall be composed of forty-nine members, § 26, elected for a four-year term, § 27, with one-half thereof elected every two years, § 30, and that no one shall be a senator unless he is a qualified elector of the senatorial district, has attained the age of 25 years, and has been a resident of the State for the two years next preceding the election, § 28. Since 1960, § 29 has read: Each existing senatorial district as provided by law at the effective date of this amendment shall permanently constitute a senatorial district. Each senatorial district shall be represented by one senator and no more. [1] Laws 1959, c. 438; Laws 1961, c. 405. The document also states that the house of representatives shall be composed of not less than sixty, nor more than one hundred forty members, § 32, elected for a two-year term, § 33, and that no one shall be a representative unless he is a qualified elector of the district, has attained the age of 21 years, and has been a resident of the State for the two years next preceding the election, § 34. Section 35 provides for at least one representative for each senatorial district and for as many representatives as there are counties in the district; states that the Legislative Assembly, after each federal decennial census, shall apportion the balance of the members of the House of Representatives, and, if the Legislative Assembly fails in its apportionment duty, places the task of apportioning the house in a designated group of officials of the State. [2] There have been complementary statutory provisions. An apportionment effected by Laws 1931, c. 7, N. D. Cent. Code § 54-03-01 (1960), was in effect for over 30 years despite the mandate of § 35 of the Constitution that apportionment be effected after each federal census.