Court Opinion

ID: 9757666
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 22:52:46.601597+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:28:42.443406
License: Public Domain

ANDERSON, District Judge
(dissenting).
It is my opinion that the motion should be granted so as to permit intervention by the individual petitioners, representing electors of the 152 towns with populations of 41,662 or under, which includes Salem and Franklin, and I also would grant leave to an equal number of qualified persons to intervene to represent the-electors of the 17 towns with a population in excess of 41,662. For the purpose of this action the small towns or rural areas-should be defined as the 152 municipalities with populations of 41,662 and under, and the cities or urban areas should be defined as the 17 towns having populations in excess of 41,662. If both houses of the General Assembly were based purely on population, the cities-with populations over 41,662 would contain a majority of the population of the-State and would, therefore, control both houses of the General Assembly.
As the basic issue in this case is whether or not the unit system of representation in one house of a bicameral-legislature is unconstitutional even when the other house is based purely upon population, the electors of the small *800towns have at stake whether or not they can retain sufficiently effective representation in the General Assembly to preserve their power to manage their local affairs.
They are the real parties in interest. Although the court has approached and dealt with the issues in this case solely as difficult problems in constitutional law, unrelated to either immediate or long range political party consequences, the intervenors have been perfectly candid in letting it be understood that they have interests in the case stemming from their identification with particular political parties. Moreover, the plaintiffs take a position adverse to the petitioners, and it is certainly not clear that their claims for relief and for remedial recommendations are entirely consistent with those desired by the electors of the large urban centers in the role of unlimited controllers of legislative power in Connecticut, who, as such, are also unrepresented. This is not to suggest that the parties and the intervenors have not made highly competent presentations or that they have not contributed tremendously to the determination of the issues in the case because the contrary is certainly true. It is to say, however, that their interests are not squarely identified with those of the petitioners and the voters similarly situated in the large cities.
Although in modified form the membership of the Houses of the Connecticut General Assembly has been based upon population in the upper house and upon the unit system in the lower house, the Attorney General has taken a position adverse to the constitutionality of any use of the unit system. In many jurisdictions, where similar issues have been before the courts, the attorney general has appeared in the role of a defender of the existing state system; but he is certainly not required to do so. This is only mentioned because his position on the issues in this case became clear only recently and affords a reason why the petitioners should not have been expected to seek intervention earlier. It also provides an added reason why the petitioners should be permitted to intervene because no one represents small town interests, as such, versus urban areas, as such. Small town electors who belong to the Democratic Party, or no party, and big city electors who belong to the Republican Party, or no party, should be able to have their interests represented uncolored by considerations of the immediate advantage or disadvantage to any political party.
Constitutions are made for the centuries and while there are probably very few, the provisions of which have been unaffected by partisan political concerns, the main intention and purpose has been through them to establish a system of government, responsive to the needs of the people and providing allocations of governmental power with a system of checks and balances to insure the continuance of that responsiveness and protect the liberties of the people. They are designed to embody the fundamental principles of the state government and to have a high degree of stability and permanency. They are not intended, like statutes, to change to meet every significant alteration in social or economic conditions. They should not be amended solely to meet the needs or desires of any political party. In fact, constitutional provisions which may appear to aid a political party at one time may, twenty years later, be quite adverse to its interests.
Electors of the small towns, as such, have their interests vitally affected by the issues in this case. They are not represented now, nor is there adequate representation for their opposite numbers in the large Cities. The individual petitioners and an equal number from the large cities, should be permitted to intervene to present their cases unaffected by extraneous interests.