Court Opinion

ID: 9626213
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 08:05:31.03737+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:06:23.530516
License: Public Domain

BENSON, Chief District Judge.
For the reasons hereinafter set out, I have not signed the order of the Court in this case.
I concur in the adoption of the Dobson Plan. It appears to be the plan that inflicts the least disruption on the election procedures and follows most closely the guidelines which we included in our order of May 22, 1972. It is further my opinion that the Constitutional deficiencies which have arisen in the existing 1965 apportionment plan by reason of population shifts since 1960 are cured by the Dobson Plan, and I would not limit the plan to the 1972 elections. The majority of this Court refers to “weaknesses of the Dobson Plan”, particularly the continuance of multi-member districts, and then cites the 21st District as an example. It is interesting to note that the Dobson Plan submitted to the Court provided for only four senators and eight representatives from the 21st District, but the Court eliminated Dobson Plan District 13 and made that district a part of District 21 in the amended Dobson Plan which it has adopted, thereby compounding the “weakness”.
Multi-member districts have existed in North Dakota since 1965. The fact that multi-member districts were first created by the Federal District Court has no significance in my opinion, because the North Dakota Legislature has seen fit not to abolish multi-member districts. The Connors cases 1 relied on by the ma*369jority of this Court relate to a specific factual racial situation in Mississippi that is not applicable to North Dakota. Where there has been no showing that such districts in North Dakota operate to dilute or cancel the voting strength of racial or political groups, it would not be improper for this Court to permit their continuation. See Whitcomb v. Chavis, 403 U.S. 124, 91 S.Ct. 1858, 29 L.Ed.2d 363. (1971)
It may be the Ostenson Plan is desirable, but it is much more disruptive and goes beyond that which is needed to meet Constitutional standards. The desirability of the Ostenson Plan and the desirability of multiple member districts are questions for the Legislature and not for this Court. This Court should intrude into legislative matters only so far as is necessary to cure Constitutional deficiencies and no farther.
APPENDIX A
The legislative districts of the state shall be formed, and senators and representatives shall be apportioned as follows:
1. The first legislative district shall consist of the City of Williston and Stony Creek and Williston Townships in Williams County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
2. The second legislative district shall consist of Divide County and all of Williams County except that portion contained in the first legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
3. The third legislative district shall consist of Renville County and all of Ward County except that portion contained in the fifth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
4. The fourth legislative district shall consist of Burke and Mountrail Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
5. The fifth legislative district shall consist of the City of Minot, Afton, Burlington, Harrison, Nedrose, Sundre and Surrey Townships, and the area lying within the boundaries of the Minot Air Force Base (such area being attached to the aforesaid by that land lying within the right of way of U.S. Highway 83), all in Ward County, and shall be entitled to four senators and eight representatives ;
6. The sixth legislative district shall consist of Bottineau County and Willow Creek, Mouse River, Meadow, Deep River, Pratt, Normal, Bantry, Layton, Little Deep, Grilley, Wager, Gilmore, Saline, Deering, Denbeigh, Riga, Egg Creek, Kottke Valley, Granville and Norwich Townships and Townships 157-75, 157-76 and 158-76 in McHenry County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
7. The seventh legislative district shall consist of Pierce County and all of McHenry County except that portion contained in the sixth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
8. The eighth legislative district shall consist of McLean County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
9. The ninth legislative district shall consist of Rolette County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
10. The tenth legislative district shall consist of Cavalier and Towner Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
11. The eleventh legislative district shall consist of Pembina County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
12. The twelfth legislative district shall consist of Benson and Eddy Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
14. The fourteenth legislative district shall consist of Foster and Wells Coun*370ties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
15. The fifteenth legislative district shall consist of Ramsey County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
16. The sixteenth legislative district shall consist of St. Andrews, Martin, Farmington, Glenwood, Acton, Oak-wood, Grafton, Fertile, Kensington, Pulaski, Harriston, Walshville and Ardoeh Townships in Walsh County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
17. The seventeenth legislative district shall consist of Nelson County and all of Walsh County except that portion contained in the sixteenth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
18. The eighteenth legislative district shall consist of the City of Grand Forks, Grand Forks Township, and the area lying within the boundaries of Grand Forks Air Force Base (such area being attached to the aforesaid by that land lying within the right of way of U.S. Highway 2), all in Grand Forks County, and shall be entitled to four senators and eight representatives;
19. The nineteenth legislative district shall consist of all of Grand Forks County except that portion contained in the eighteenth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
20. The twentieth legislative district shall consist of Traill County and Noble, Kinyon, Bell, Hunter, Wiser, Gardner, Gunkel and Arthur Townships in Cass County and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
21. The twenty-first legislative district shall consist of the Cities of Fargo, West Fargo and West Fargo Industrial Park and Fargo, Barnes and Reed Townships, all in Cass County, and shall be entitled to five senators and ten representatives ;
22. The twenty-second legislative district shall consist of all of Cass County except those portions contained in the twentieth and twenty-first legislative districts, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
23. The twenty-third legislative district shall consist of Griggs and Steele Counties and all of Barnes County except that portion contained in the twenty-fourth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
24. The twenty-fourth legislative district shall consist of Oriska, Alta, Hobart, Springvale, Cuba, Marsh, Green, Hemen, Mansfield, Binghampton, Norma, Nelson, Skandia, Svea, Meadow Lake, Raritan, Thor denskjold, Oakhill, Rosebud, Spring Creek and Greenland Townships and Township 140-58 in Barnes County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
25. The twenty-fifth legislative district shall consist of Eagle, Walcott, Colfax, Abercrombie, Nansen, Dwight, Ibsen, Antelope, Center, Mooreton, Barney, Summit, Brandenburg, Belford, Fair-mount, DeVillo, Waldo, LaMars and Greendale Townships in Richland County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
26. The twenty-sixth legislative district shall consist of Dickey and Sargent Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
27. The twenty-seventh legislative district shall consist of Ransom County and all of Richland County except that portion contained in the twenty-fifth legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
28. The twenty-eighth legislative district shall consist of LaMoure and Logan Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
29. The twenty-ninth legislative district shall consist of Stutsman County and shall be entitled to two senators and four representatives;
30. The thirtieth legislative district shall consist of Emmons and McIntosh *371Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
31. The thirty-first legislative district shall consist of Kidder and Sheridan Counties and all of Burleigh County except that portion contained in the thirty-second legislative district, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
32. The thirty-second legislative district shall consist of the City of Bismarck and the unorganized territory designated as Hay Creek, Lincoln and Fort Rice precincts (Townships 137-80, 138-80, 139-80 and 139-81) in Burleigh County, and shall be entitled to three senators and six representatives;
33. The thirty-third legislative district shall consist of Mercer and Oliver Counties and all of Morton County except those portions contained in the thirty-fourth and thirty-fifth legislative districts, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
34. The thirty-fourth legislative district shall consist of the City of Mandan and the unorganized territory designated as Crown Butte, Bindewald, Custer and Highland precincts (Townships 138-80, 138-81, 138-82, 139-81, 139-82, 140-81, 140-82, and 140-83) in Morton County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
35. The thirty-fifth legislative district shall consist of Grant and Sioux Counties, and Harmon Township and the unorganized territory designated as Wenger, Rural, Sweetbriar, Dettman, Albrecht, Columbia, Sims, Doll, Olin, Faust, Hermes, Buchli, Huff, Little Heart, Fallon, Stone, Fort Rice, Odense, and New Hope precincts (Townships 133-82, 134-79, 134-80, 134-81, 134-82, 134- 84, 135-79 through 84, 136-79 through 84, 137-79 through 87, 138-83 through 90, 139-83, and 139-84) in Morton County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
36. The thirty-sixth legislative district shall consist of Dunn and McKenzie Counties, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives;
37. The thirty-seventh legislative district shall consist of the City of Dickinson in Stark County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives ;
38. The thirty-eighth legislative district shall consist of Adams and Hettinger Counties and all of Stark County except those portions contained in the thirty-seventh and thirty-ninth legislative districts and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives; and
39. The thirty-ninth legislative district shall consist of Slope, Billings, Bowman, and Golden Valley Counties and South Heart, Slope and Ash Coulee Townships and Townships 137-96, 137-97, 137-98, 137-99, 138-96, 138-97, 138-98, 138-99, 139- 96, 139-99, 140-96, 140-98, and 140- 99 in Stark County, and shall be entitled to one senator and two representatives.

. Connor v. Johnson, 402 U.S. 690, 91 S.Ct. 1760, 29 L.Ed.2d 268 (1971) ; Connor v. Williams, 404 U.S. 549, 551, 92 S.Ct. 656, 30 L.Ed.2d 704 (1972).