Court Opinion

ID: 9850104
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 04:52:11.430033+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:20:31.790679
License: Public Domain

*593BISTLINE, Justice,
specially concurring,
The 1984 legislature was drawing to a close without there having been enacted into law a reapportionment plan for this Court’s review under Hellar / — where-under, having affirmed the district court’s declaration of the unconstitutionality of House bill 830, we would determine the constitutionality of any reapportionment plan which became law. Various and diverse motions and petitions were being presented to us. Accordingly, the Court, on March 26. 1984, sent out this notice:
“The Court has ORDERED that an informal conference of attorneys shall be held on Friday, March 30, 1984 at 10:30 a.m., in the Supreme Court Courtroom, 451 W. State Street, Boise, Idaho, for the purpose of discussing the status of this case.”
Court convened at the appointed time, and we heard at length from counsel representing the various parties and proposed intervenors. At this time we were informed that the legislature was in the process of considering a last minute third reapportionment bill which it contemplated would be passed and sent to the Governor prior to adjournment. We were informed that the proposed legislation would be in compliance with the Idaho Constitution, but that it might not be in compliance with the Federal Constitution. Counsel for Hellar, et al., advised those present that should the Governor sign the bill into law, a petition would be filed immediately seeking a declaration of its unconstitutionality because of excessive population deviation. On the following day the enacted bill was sent to the Governor, and on Monday, it was signed and became the law, subject to this Court’s decision on the expected challenge as authorized by the reservation of jurisdiction in Hellar I.
On Monday, the second day of April, and the day the Governor affixed his signature to H.B. 746, the Court was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, hearing appeals at its spring term.
With due and circumspect regard for the seriousness of the question and the shortness of time caused by the legislature’s last-minute actions, the Court rearranged its North Idaho schedule. The following order was prepared by Justice Shepard in Boise, and immediately sent to counsel for all parties and proposed intervenors:
“The Court having issued its opinion herein on January 4, 1984, affirming the judgment of the trial court as modified therein and retaining jurisdiction of this case until further order of the Court; and thereafter House Bill 746 as amended in the Senate reapportioning the Idaho Legislature having been enacted into law on April 2, 1984; and the Plaintiffs having thereafter filed with the Court a PETITION TO REVIEW REAPPORTIONMENT PLAN ENACTED BY HB 746AA on April 2, 1984; and T.W. STIVERS et al. having filed a PETITION FOR LEAVE TO INTERVENE with the Court on March 30,1984; and the Court having determined that it should promptly hold a hearing to determine the above petitions and the constitutionality of House Bill 746 at the earliest possible time by shortening the time for notice of hearing and eliminating the filing of briefs pursuant to extraordinary appellate procedure under Rule 44 of the Idaho Appellate Rules,
“NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that a hearing for oral argument is hereby set before this Court at two o’clock p.m. on Friday, April 6, 1984, in the courtroom of the Nez Perce County Courthouse, Lewiston, Idaho, for the purpose of hearing oral argument upon the PETITION TO REVIEW APPORTIONMENT PLAN ENACTED BY HB 746A A of the Plaintiffs, and the PETITION FOR LEAVE TO INTERVENE of T.W. STIVERS et al. and the constitutionality of House Bill 746.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the Clerk of the Court give immediate notice of this NOTICE OF HEARING to include all known parties, intervenors and petitioners herein.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the Court will advise all appearing par*594ties and their counsel as to the time and sequence of oral argument immediately before commencement of the above hearing.”
The Court convened at the scheduled time and place to hear and consider argument as to the constitutionality of HB 746. In accordance with the procedure we had unanimously agreed upon, after we had heard everything counsel for all parties had to offer, the Chief Justice advised those present exactly what we were doing:
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: If counsel would stay for a few minutes after we take our recess and go back, I don’t know if we can come out with a decision today, but we’ll see where we come. We’ll let you know. If not, we will try to have at least an order out by Monday sometime. I know everybody’s concerned, and then a written opinion would have to follow, but we could at least get an order out and as soon as we adjourn, we’ll decide whether we can do anything today or if we’ll have to do it Monday. We appreciate all of counsel coming up here. It’s rather historic that we have this argument of reapportionment in the first capítol of Idaho. Who knows, if they hadn’t changed the capítol, we might have had all these arguments up here in North Idaho. If there is nothing further, Court is adjourned.”
There was no suggestion from anyone present that the case had not been fully presented. It was ripe for decision, and the members of the Court were aware that an immediate decision was both necessary and expected by the parties. After some deliberation, counsel were advised that our decision would be rendered on Monday morning, April 9, 1984. Faithful to our commitment, the following order was entered:
“The Court having entered its second opinion in this matter on January 4,1984, approving Plan 14-B referred to therein but retaining jurisdiction until further order of this Court; and thereafter H.B. 746 AAS reapportioning the Idaho State Legislature having been enacted into law on April 2,1984; and the Plaintiffs thereafter having filed a PETITION TO REVIEW REAPPORTIONMENT PLAN ENACTED BY H.B. 746 AA on April 2, 1984; and pursuant to notice to the parties the Court having heard oral argument thereon at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 1984; and the Court thereafter having determined that H.B. 746 AAS is unconstitutional and that the 1984 elections of the Idaho State Legislature should be held under the above described plan 14-B approved by. the prior opinion of this Court,
“NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED, that H.B.. 746 AAS reapportioning the Idaho State Legislature enacted into law on April 2, 1984 be, and the same is hereby, declared unconstitutional in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the 1984 elections for the Idaho State Legislature shall be held under and pursuant to Plan 14-B heretofore described and approved in the Opinion of this Court issued in this matter on January 4, 1984.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that the date for filing Declarations of Candidacy for the Idaho State Legislature for the 1984 election be, and the same is hereby, extended to 5:00 p.m. on Monday April 16, 1984.
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, that written opinions of the Justices of this Court will follow.
“Shepard, J. and Bakes, J. dissent from the foregoing Order and determination.”
The Court’s opinion and the dissenting opinions of Justices Bakes and Shepard were released one week later on April 16, 1984. The Court in this case determined just as it did in Idaho State Tax Commission v. Staker, 104 Idaho 734, 663 P.2d 270 (1982), that the gravity of the situation justified, in fact necessitated, an early release of the Court’s opinion. Having not had the benefit of the dissenting opinions— *595which apparently were inadvertently not circulated to my office prior to their being publicly released, I feel brief comment is in order, and strongly feel that elaborate comment is not merited.
The issue presented to the Court at the Lewiston hearing on Friday, April 6, 1984, was the constitutionality of H.B. 746 as viewed under the Constitution of the United States and case law of the Supreme Court of the United States applying that Constitution. (I do not yet perceive the dissenters as advocating that the members of this Court are not solemnly sworn to uphold that Constitution.) A majority of this court are persuaded that H.B. 746 is in violation of that Constitution, and have, with what is hoped will be recognized as a display in fortitude and integrity, declared H.B. 746 unconstitutional. Obviously, had one more member joined the persuasion of the dissenting justices, H.B. 746 would have survived. Thus viewed, it was a narrow defeat for those who champion H.B. 746. Thus viewed, one can understand and sympathize with the dissenters.
But, one cannot accept in good grace the tenor and content of the dissenting opinions. Disgruntlement at not prevailing in advocacy ought not to lead to distortion and perversion. A dissenting opinion which is founded in logic and fortified by law would represent another point of view, and surely would be welcome by bench and bar, the public, and certainly the side who has not prevailed. But where, it may be asked, is the dissenting opinion which portrays the law and logic by which the Court should have held H.B. 746 constitutional?
Instead, in what may be observed as pure spleen-venting there are two dissenting opinions which for the most part are seen as charging the majority with denying “these defendants the procedural due process guaranteed them by the United States Constitution.” This base accusation is so far-fetched as to remain unworthy of the comment. For certain, to counsel for the defendants, who have fairly and candidly presented their case in opposition to the Hellars, it will come as a surprise to see dissenting opinions premised on theories and principles which were never advocated — nor claim ever made that they were being so unconstitutionally deprived of their rights to be fairly and fully heard. It will be both surprising and disappointing were the defendants to seize upon the theme of the dissenting opinions as a predicate upon which to base a petition for rehearing.
Earlier in this opinion is found the statement to counsel by the Chief Justice following argument, after which mention was made that not one attorney presented suggested that the case had not been fully and fairly presented. So that all doubt may be erased in that regard, and with regard to the nature of the accusations of the dissenters, the circumstances require that bench and bar, the parties, and the public be fully advised concerning the presentations made to the Court by the attorneys representing the defendants — the parties which the dissenters declare to have been denied procedural due process. I also include the statement of the Chief Justice made as a preliminary to the hearing:1
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: This is the time set for hearing arguments in the case of Hellar, et al. v. Cenarrusa, et al. There are three matters here that are before the Court for consideration. First, of course, is appellants’ petition to review the reapportionment plan of 746AA, which is amended twice. Also, we have a petition for leave to intervene by Stivers, et al., filed by Mr. McClure, Deputy Attorney General, and then we have also a petition for leave to intervene of James Risch and T.W. Stivers by Mr. Thomas. Those two petitions, I believe, were only filed down in Boise the last day or so and we just received copies of them. I gather there is some dispute as to who is exactly repre*596senting who and as to how many. Is that true Mr. McClure? Have you and Mr. Thomas agreed in part of it, I guess.
“MR. McCLURE: Your Honor, I believe that that dispute has been resolved. Mr. Thomas will be here representing, as I understand, the President Pro Tem of the Senate, Mr. Jim Risch and Speaker of the House, Mr. Tom Stivers. I have been asked, as you know, last week by the House of Representatives to intervene on part of the entire House requesting this Court to impose a different reapportionment plan should House Bill 746 be found to be unconstitutional. I hope that those lines are still to be drawn.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Is that in agreement with you, Mr. Thomas, as your understanding?
“MR. THOMAS: If it please the Court and counsel, I think, Your Honor, that is satisfactory. We do find ourselves in a situation that we need more time to resolve (unintelligible) I think that suffices.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Mr. Givens, I know that you have not received these until maybe the last day or so, what is your position in the matter?
“MR. GIVENS: We have never objected to an intervention in this case, and we’re not going to start now. I am confused, though, as to, I guess the Speaker of the House is the classic example. Twin Falls delegation has been granted leave to intervene and he was part of that, represented by Mr. Webb. They’ve asked to get out and Mr. Stivers is part of the House of Representatives, and then — which is being represented by Mr. McClure. Mr. Stivers and Mr. Risch are being represented by Mr. Thomas and, I’d just like to know who’s representing whom, in what capacity, all the way through. As much as we can clean this up at this point it would be— there are other petitions to intervene and petitions to get back out, and I’m just not sure who’s on the other side.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: You have a point Mr. Givens. I believe that we have filed or received motions that Twin Falls to be let out, also Canyon County to be let out, also Coeur d’Alene to be let out, which are going to be granted because there has been no objection. Mr. Montgomery is still here, I guess, for Ada County under certain circumstances and what I will ask is that as each counsel has a chance to argue, they state who they are representing so we’ll be sure and know exactly the position of each one and who they represent. We will reserve final determination on these petitions for leave to intervene, but we will allow you to argue today and then we’ll decide, I suppose when we get through, when the final decision is made. But you can go ahead and make your arguments today. I believe that counsel have made arrangements with the Clerk of the Court as to the length of time they are to argue and when they are suppose to receive the green light and when the red light. Appearing on behalf of the appellant will be Mr. Givens, who will do the argument. Mr. Bill Nixon is appearing with him and I guess will not make any argument. Appearing on behalf of the respondent Cenarrusa and whoever else you decide at that time you announce, will be Mr. McClure. Appearing on behalf of Governor Evans will be Mr. Costello. I guess we know who you represent, and that’s the only person, is that right Mr. Costello?
“MR. COSTELLO: Yes, Mr. Chief Justice.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: All right. Then we have attorneys for Risch, et al., which will be Mr. Thomas, and I guess Jess Strother will also argue. And then we have Ada County, at the last, Mr. Gary Montgomery will do the argument. If we have all of the ground established, why, we can commence. We will start off I believe, it’s your petition Mr. Givens, then you may begin.
“MR. McCLURE: ... Mr. Chief Justice, counsel, if it may please the Court. I view the issues before you today somewhat differently that Mr. Givens has stated them. From my perspective the question is wheth*597er House Bill 746, as amended, falls within the Court’s order which it issued January 4 of this year. As you know, I was previously arguing that art. 3, § 5 had been preempted. You said that that was not correct, that it had not been preempted. The legislature has since passed a plan which was passed earlier in the session and vetoed by the Governor. The legislature passed a second plan which was ultimately signed by the Governor. That’s the plan before you, plan 746. In my opinion, if it would please the Court, I think the issues before you are twofold. Does this comply with the Idaho Constitution, art. 3 § 5, and does it comply with the Federal Constitution, art. 14? While I think it’s undisputed that this plan does comply with the Idaho Constitution, art. 3, § 5, there are no split counties other than those which in your provision in Hellar I you indicated could be split. I don’t think that we’ve had any disagreement from counsel on this regard.
“The second question, as I see it, is whether there is a permissible deviation in this plan or not. Now, Mr. Hellar — or excuse me, Mr. Givens’ argument that 33% is not good enough, I have some sympathy with him. I have in the past had those leanings myself, but this Court told me that I was not correct again, and that a plan with a higher deviation than this would pass constitutional muster. Taking the Court’s statement to heart, the legislature did pass this plan. It has a deviation, according to the aggregate method, of 33% approximately, and a deviation according to the component method of 37% approximately. Each of those deviations, no matter how computed, is lower than the deviation this Court said would certainly stand constitutional muster. Therefore, Your Honors, it seems to me that the law of this case is that this deviation is acceptable.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Would you agree that was dictum in the opinion of the Court, or not, Mr. McClure?
“MR. McCLURE: Mr. Chief Justice, it was certainly dictum. It was not holding. If I can state on behalf of the legislature, on behalf of the House whom I do represent, it was certainly something which they took to heart. I think it was no secret that they were not fond, and are not fond, of plan 14B because of the large geographical areas in the floterial districts and the complicated electoral system which would be involved. Yes, I do agree that it is dictum and not holding. Nevertheless, we have a statement of this Court a mere four months ago that that would be acceptable. And under the terms of Brown v. Thompson that may be acceptable under federal law whether its dicta or not. I would certainly believe that it is. Brown v. Thompson, as you are all aware, was from Wyoming. The court had before it an approved plan of 89% deviation, the Supreme Court of the United States saying that the plaintiffs had challenged the method of computation of the deviation incorrectly. They had simply challenged the worst case, assuming, I suppose, that the plan was only as good as its worst county, like a chain only so strong as its weakest link. The court said that’s not correct. This 23% deviation which is caused by the worst county, the difference between 66% deviation and 89% deviation, they said this 23% deviation is and I quote, “not significant.” In that regard I would urge you to read further into Brown v. Thompson where the court has said we can take special consideration of sparse geographical areas and of peculiarities in geography.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: Counsel, if you’ll excuse me, while you’re on Brown and on that very point, I’m reading the Brown case from page 222 of the Lawyers Edition. On that page they state first, that anything under 10% classifies as minor deviation. The next paragraph they say that anything over 10% is prima facie discrimination, and then they come to this statement, and I’m quoting: “De minimis deviations are unavoidable but variations of 30% among senate districts and 40% among house districts can hardly be deemed de minimis and none of our cases suggest that differences of this magnitude will be accepted without a satisfactory explanation grounded on acceptable state policy.” Now, with that mandate in mind and being cognizant of *598the fact that this Court is required, in enforcing the federal constitution, to go by the decisions of the United States Supreme Court, are you aware of a single case by the United States Supreme Court, or any federal three-judge court which approves deviations in excess of 20 to 30% where there were, before that court, plans of lesser deviations below 10% like we have here?
“MR. McCLURE: No, Your Honor, I’m not aware. I would point out that I agree with your reasoning of the Brown decision, the state does have the burden, and we recognize that, of justifying and, as in Brown, the state justified the deviation by citing a rational state policy of observing county boundaries and they found also that it was — that county boundaries were followed without any taint of arbitrariness or discrimination. I think that even in this case the only question of discrimination or arbitrariness which the appellants have raised is involved in the way we have split counties. As permitted by this Court’s opinion in Hellar I, it doesn’t appear to me, Your Honor, that the distinction — or, excuse me, it doesn’t appear to me, Your Honor, that the justification and supporting rationale for acceptance of this plan is any different than the justification and supporting rationale in Brown v. Thompson in which they said 23% is okay. They said that there are these unique factors that we can allow. They said Brown had, for example, an average deviation of 16%. The affidavit of Susan Benion, which I’ve just filed this morning, Your Honor, it says that this plan 746 has an average deviation of 7.22%, a far lower average than in Brown. Part of the reason, in my view, that the court ruled as it did in Brown, was that the legislature in the State of Wyoming had attempted to take into consideration unique factors such as we have been trying to do in this case, Your Honor. For example, Bonner and Boundary counties, there is no way given their makeup, given the population in each of those counties and the fact that they are surrounded by two states and a foreign country, there’s no way to put those together with Kootenai County which lies to the south without creating a large multi-member district or a large floterial district. Thereby, in my opinion, and I think in the plaintiff’s opinion, as well, causing great confusion for the voters in that area. What the legislature has tried to do in this, Your Honor, is keep to as many single member districts as possible, hoping as the evidence of defendants presented at trial, that single member districts will result in more hotly contested elections and more voter awareness. If you take out that case, and if you also take out the case of the five counties, one of which we are now in. If you take Latah, Nez Perce, Lewis, Idaho and Clearwater Counties, the way they fit together in terms of population, you can either represent them with three or with four. If you represent them with three senators and six representatives, then they are under-represented by 15%. If you represented them by four then they are over-represented by 12%. There is no satisfactory solution; no way to treat these. We have taken the lowest way out in this particular circumstance. If you take those two worst cases and you say these are justifiable, rationale policies that the state can observe when it reapportions, then this plan has a total deviation, these two situations, of 24%, not at all unlike that 23% in Brown v. Thompson, which was found to be not significant.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Mr. McClure, you were talking about those districts. Were those the floterial districts you’re talking about?
“MR. McCLURE: Your Honor, the district in this area? In Nez Perce County?
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Yes, you were saying that they were either under-represented or over-represented.
“MR. McCLURE: The question is, Your Honor, whether you include three districts or three districts and a floterial district. If you include three districts and a floterial district, then you cause them to be some 13% over-represented.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Now, you’re talking about the floterial district as outlined in 746, it it?
*599“MR. McCLURE: Yes, Your Honor.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: What if you made that floterial district ten counties instead of the upper five, then what do you get?
“MR. McCLURE: You get a district about 300 miles long and it’s very difficult to campaign, but you do reduce the deviation, you’re correct. I am not aware precisely what that deviation is. I understand it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 22%.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: While you’re interrupted, the one case you might want to talk about is Stewart v. O’Callahan, which is a Nevada case, 1972, that allowed a 31% deviation. You maybe haven’t had a chance to look at it, and I haven’t either, but I read about it.
“MR. McCLURE: Your Honor, I have looked at it before, in fact.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Is that comparable to Idaho, do you feel?
“MR. McCLURE: Your Honor, I can’t comment on that. I haven’t looked at it recently.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: I understand that. We’re all under a time frame where we haven’t had a chance to do all the research we might like.
“MR. McCLURE: I do know, however, that you are correct and that they approved that. In fact, Judge McNichols was on the three-judge panel which did so.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: It was a federal, a circuit court.
“MR. McCLURE: Yes, it was.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: Do you recall, counsel, whether in that Nevada ease there were plans presented with lower deviations?
“MR. McCLURE: I do not recall, Your Honor. The evidence which Mr. Givens has presented today concerning uncontested races, voter turnout, popular vote v. legislative seats is interesting, certainly a factual question. You’ve indicated that we would be allowed, I hope, the opportunity to litigate that should we feel that it is a factual issue of importance.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Did you have an opportunity to argue that fact in Hellar I and II Mr. McClure?
“MR. McCLURE: This type of evidence—
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: I know it’s slightly different, but they look very familiar to me as from the original Hellar II case anyway.
“MR. McCLURE: Your Honor, I believe that the uncontested races and the voter turnout, if you split counties, that is new. I would suggest that there are any number of factors which could affect why the number of uncontested races have gone up in the last twenty years. I don’t think it’s even probable that you should assume that’s from reapportionment. I would suggest that’s a factual question that ought to be delved into on trial.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Well, do you wish then that we hold in abeyance the decision and let it go back for an evidentiary hearing?
“MR. McCLURE: No, Your Honor, I don’t feel that you need to do that. I feel that as a matter of law this is not relevant to the decision before you.
“____ (At this point, Mr. McClure’s presentation dealt with an omitted precinct in Twin Falls — concerning which there is no issue — the omission having been corrected under an applicable statute.)
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: We’ll next hear, I believe, Mr. Thomas.
“MR. THOMAS: Mr. Chief Justice and members of the Court, Counsel, it is our purpose here today, and with the indulgence of the Court, we will split our time between Mr. Strother and myself, to represent the intervenors Risch and Stivers in the furtherance of the proposition set forth in Senate Concurrent Resolution 116 in the immediate past legislature. In doing so we do appear in support of the position taken by the Attorney General with respect to House Bill 746AA, but we are handicapped, if it please the Court, by the fact that until this very afternoon our standing in this *600case was unestablished. We have not been served with nor read affidavits and other materials. I apologize for that state of unpreparedness. I would like to bring to this discussion a few comments, if I may, from the point of view of the leadership of the House and the Senate and the point of view articulated in Senate Concurrent Resolution 116. The legislature, perhaps incorrectly, but literally, read the three judge panel court opinion of Summers v. Cenarrusa some years ago and believed that the State Constitution prohibiting the crossing of the county lines in the district situation we’ve been discussing was unconstitutional, proceeded to adopt what it though was an appropriate statute and then learned by the earlier decision in this case, that that was indeed a misreading and that the county line prohibition provision of Art. 3, § 5 is constitutional. The further proceedings of this Court led to an admonition directing to the legislature its awareness of a duty to come forward with a legislatively produced and designed plan, if it could, to discharge its public responsibilities. Failing that, 14B would be the law of the State. We, at the request of the legislature under that resolution, as this Court is aware, did commence contesting litigation in the United States District Court for review of 14B. That matter is pending at this time in that court. Today we think that it will be appropriate if 746 is sustained to dismiss as moot the federal case and put at rest at long last this difficult issue in our state. As Justice Huntley pointed out, the presumption' against which this work is done are difficult, and the cases that have been written, though few on the list before us, are numerous in the briefs that have been filed and it’s very difficult to put them all together and come to a simplistic conclusion a rule of thumb that tells us what’s good and what’s bad. Indeed, I think what one concludes with is the very interesting and pertinent quote that Justice Huntley shared with us a moment ago, and that is that we- must look to the particulars of the state to determine whether these apparently gross and inappropriate deviations are justified. In the case before the Court today, House Bill 746 contains a rather articulate and brief, but I think complete, statement of the justification for the deviation and I refer to section 1 of 746 which discusses, in a unique fashion as legislation of this variety goes, the basis for the conclusions that this legislature came to. And the elementary fact is that Idaho is a very special and unique place in the way that its population is divided, its roads run, its mountain ridges present themselves, sometimes we say, as monuments of beauty, but other times, as great impediments to the socio-economic activities of our state and, indeed, the political. And so it is that I think the provisions of this bill at section 1 give the answer that the Supreme Court inquired after in Justice Huntley’s quote, as to why in Idaho have you done this? The answer is that in Idaho we seek not to cross the county lines in violation of the state constitution and to accommodate what is indeed an effective and reasonable program of representation of our people and our legislature and the imperfections insofar as ratios are concerned are indeed well rationalized in this presentation. We would therefore submit, respectfully, that if we have learned from this case and from the federal court litigation a lesson that would guide us well, it is that these determinations are uniquely well-placed with the legislature. It is extraordinarily difficult under the rules of practice and of our profession of the judicial branch to go into the kinds of factfinding and weighing that this challenge requires of the ultimate arbiter. We think, if it please the Court, that it is appropriate that the priority has been given and the preference articulated for legislative enactment in this field. We think that 746 does that well and, absent the papers that have been filed the last few days, Mr. Strother has a few remarks he would like to present on our behalf with regard to what our research has suggested.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Mr. Thomas, you made an offer that if we sustain House Bill 746 that you would dismiss your petition or claim in the federal court as to plan 14B. However, I don’t *601think you’d get Mr. Givens to make the same offer if we should sustain.
“MR. THOMAS: If it please the Court, I didn’t mean that to sound as if it were being a suggestion that it would induce the Court in any respect. I wouldn’t do that, and I respectfully Mr. Givens’ position in this matter. The thought I had in mind was that it would, on final adjudication, I’m sure render moot any further proceedings in those matters. You’re quite correct in pointing out that Mr. Givens has a serious issue that he presents and pursues and we would have to see how that unfolds as we indeed watch all litigation unfold.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: Mr. Thomas, you open your remark with the matter that did raise the Chief Justice’s question, I think you stated that you would consider dismissing that federal court case and bring this matter in this state to probably an early .conclusion.
“MR. THOMAS: Yes, sir.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: As you appreciate it, no doubt, this Court in past federal constitutional questions has to be guided by the mandates of the United States Supreme Court.
“MR. THOMAS: I certainly do, sir.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: And I think we should be up front with what has to concern us here. Now, in addition to the cases that are set forth there on the jury box, I’ve had research done where we’ve been presented with a University of Pittsburgh Law Review that has virtually every United States and Federal District Court decision listed with their deviations and whether they were approved or not. And, just to cite a few, we have cases, Delaware where 33% was rejected as unconstitutional; Florida, 28%; Illinois, 16%; Indiana, 37%. Now in the record we have before us, we have plan 6A and 6B that have an 8.76 deviation. We have plans HA and 11B with a 9.5% deviation. We have 12A and 12B with a 9.01%; 13A and 13B with 9.01%; and then 14A and 14B with the 9.65% under the aggregate method. Are you aware of any federal court decision that approves the deviations in the magnitude above 30% where there were plans presented with deviations below 10%?
“MR. THOMAS: Mr. Chief Justice and Justice Huntley, if it please the Court, I believe that the case we are talking about involves, in fact, a 41.3% deviation which has been reduced, if 746 is adopted, to 37%. The difficulty with the Court’s question is that there are legal issues implicit in those computations and in the statistical magic, if you will, of the lexicon of those witnesses. And while I appreciate that both this Court and others have sometimes indicated that those may be viewed as intricate factual morasses into which we do not wish to wade, the reality is that that’s where the action is, and I believe, if it please the Court, that this use of the aggregate method poses constitutional issues, and therefore that we cannot answer the question based upon the assumption that those are the percentages and those are the facts. I think the component method has to be looked at, rather than the aggregate, if it please the Court. In my personal opportunity to prepare for this hearing today doesn’t put me in a position to say more than that. I cannot even claim to have seen the Pittsburgh Law Review article you mentioned. I do believe, however, that that is the issue that concerns us. We are looking today at an opportunity to reduce the problem from 41 to 37 percent and that would be a step in the right direction.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: Would you care to address the question under either the aggregate or component method? Has the United States Supreme Court ever approved deviations in excess of 30% where there were plans available with 10% or below?
“MR. THOMAS: I would be happy to do so, given an opportunity, Mr. Justice. I have not today had that opportunity. Mr. Chief Justice, I see the red light and I apologize for being lengthy, but I wonder if I could indulge upon the Court’s patience to ask for just a moment or two for Mr. Strother’s at least summary.
*602“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Yes, we interrupted you for some questions, so if we have impinged upon Mr. Strother’s time, we’ll give him some additional time.
“MR. THOMAS: Thank you, Your Hon- or.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Do you think you can do it in five minutes, Mr. Strother, at least make a running jump at it?
“MR. STROTHER: I can make a very good running jump, Your Honor, I believe. At the outset, Your Honor, we concur with the statement by the Attorney General that the Court’s decision in what was referred to in the Hellar — in the federal action as Hellar II, the case decided on January 4, 1984, is the law of this case. I think the implications of that are that, right or wrong, that the decision must be followed in subsequent decisions here, the only exception that appears to have been recognized by this Court prior to this time is if there was an intervening decision of the United States Supreme Court which overturns the basis of the Court’s original determination. There is no intervening decision in this case. Therefore, I would suggest that this Court having decided that 41.3% variation was acceptable that it must, as a matter of proper judicial practice, accept the deviations in House Bill 746. In this connection, I would note that we disagree with the Attorney General on one point. The holding that 41.3% was an acceptable deviation was a necessary part of the Court’s ruling as we understand it. As was pointed out in the dissent to the Hellar II decision, the Court did not address the issues of whether the aggregate or the component method was the correct method. Viewed in that context, the statement that a plan of 41.3% is acceptable was apparently used by the majority to avoid a decision between the aggregate and component method. Only with that decision unnecessary does the — can the Court fairly say that it would have addressed all of the issues raised by the Attorney General on the appeal. Now the Court did not act in a vacuum when it made the statement that 41.3% was an acceptable deviation. It did so at the specific urging of the Hellars who now come to this Court and say that a plan of lesser deviation is unacceptable. I notice that on none of the charts that are mentioned here do the Hellars mention — or that are presented here, do the Hellars mention the eases that they cited in their briefs to the Court, specifically those from Hawaii in which the Hellars themselves assert the United States Supreme Court has approved a reapportionment plan with a 34.6% deviation. These are cited on pages 76-80 of one of their briefs to this Court. Now, the rationale there was that Hawaii, the state at issue, was a unique state, given the number of islands and so on and so forth, we suggest that the Hellars, having urged the uniqueness of Hawaii and of Idaho, by inference, pointing out the many wilderness areas, the difficulties of transportation and so on and so forth, we believe they are estopped to come before this Court and say we did not mean what we said before. In fact, they told this Court that 41.3% was acceptable and we think that they cannot now turn around and say it is not. Finally, to answer Justice Huntley’s frequent question, I think the decisions of the United States Supreme Court frequently show instances in which the Court has approved plans where plans of lesser deviation were available and were well known. In Mahon v. Howell, for example, the Court approved a 16.4% deviation when the district court has proposed a plan with a less than 10% deviation. In Gafne v. Cummins, the Court approved the plan that numerically was not as good as other plans that had been proposed in Court. The reason that the Court did so is that reapportionment is a legislative matter primarily, that the legislature is entitled to consider matters other than strict population and that the Court even recognized in Gafne that it was a political matter. Hence, the fact that the plaintiff has introduced plans of lesser deviation is of no real consequence. All the legislature has to do to make a plan that’s good enough to pass constitutional muster. If it achieves that standard, it doesn’t matter if it does so by a *603little bit or by a lot. Once it achieves constitutional — once it is correct under constitutional standards the inquiry need go no further. With respect to Mr. Givens’ last argument, the republican form of government, there is a long line of United States Supreme Court authority to the effect that no claims arising under Art. 4, § 4 are justiciable. Baker v. Carr is, I believe, the latest one in the field of reapportionment. There is quite a lengthy discussion there. My time is up. If there are any questions of the Court I’d be happy to take them up.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: There are no questions. Thank you, Mr. Strother.
“MR. MONTGOMERY: Mr. Chief Justice and members of the Court ad counsel, my desire is to take just a moment or two, leave the legalistic arguments to the others, and simply enter to you today, both as an attorney representing the Ada County delegation and as a legislator, one intimately acquainted with the process we’ve just been through, to enter with you a plea, which I know is shared by the members of that delegation and almost universally, shared by all 105 men and women who serve in that legislative body and represent the citizens of our state statewide, and that is, our genuine hope that this Court can see its way clear to approve this plan which is now before you, and which through an agonizing process, we’ve been able to work out. We’ve looked at so many plans and so many variations of plans that we go home at night with bloodshot eyes and see them in our sleep at night. Every plan that we considered disadvantaged somebody, some district, some element of our state. There is no ideal plan. And every time we would consider one, seriously, somebody had to swallow awfully hard. But, there is almost universal agreement among the members of the legislature, that almost anything would be better for the State of Idaho than plan 14B. That’s the plea I issue to you today. Some felt that 14B might be a good Republican plan. There were a few who felt it might be a good Democratic plan. But, the universal view was that it was not a good plan for the State of Idaho for reasons, I’m sure you’ve heard previously. Just two other thoughts, then, if I may. One is that, given the restriction that we must deal with, that is the sanctity of the county boundary line, it was our feeling in this effort to achieve something that would meet both the state and federal constitutional requirements that surely, surely given that county boundary line restriction an overall deviation in excess of 10% would be justified. We proceeded under that assumption and I believe it is. We, for example, just one quick interjection. We had one plan that we thought looked good and would have resulted in a little smaller deviation and the kind of problems we ran into was that the good lady who would represent one of the districts would have to cross a mountain range to get to the other half of her constituency. We’ve had some unique and difficult problems as we have tried to work this out. Finally, I just want to suggest that the argument — that there’s an Achilles Heel in the argument that has been submitted by Mr. Givens to the effect that somehow we’ve engaged in a process, and carried on in House Bill 747 as well, of gerrymandering and districting in such a manner that it benefits one party over another. The Achilles Heel is this. The Bill you have before you today was passed overwhelmingly by both the House and the Senate, by both parties of the legislature, both Democrats and Republicans because we believed as a body that it was superior to plan 14B and the best interests of the State of Idaho. And I close, as I opened, with a plea that you can somehow see your way clear to approve this plan and let it stand as the law in this matter. Thank you.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: You’re not really then asking us, as you did before, that in the event that 746 is not approved that we make the modification as to Ada County under 14B?
“MR. MONTGOMERY: Mr. Chief Justice and members of the Court, thank you; I failed to address that. What I am saying *604today that the Ada County delegation would prefer House Plan 746, we would much prefer. If for some reason that is not accepted by this Court we would still seek the modification to Ada County.
“JUSTICE SHEPARD: Mr. Montgomery, it seems to me that when we last heard argument on this matter that you were the one that addressed the question that the Chief Justice posed a few moments ago as to the costs of 14B in the remodeling necessities. Were you? Do you remember?
“MR. MONTGOMERY: I may have been. It’s certainly, Mr. Chief Justice and Justice Shepard, certainly something that we’ve had under keen consideration. I can tell you personally, I have walked that House chamber trying to figure out where you would put another 14 people, and there isn’t a place to put them. The last remodeling job was in excess of $600,000 and the cost to remodel the House to put another 14 people in there is just going to be enormous not to mention the fact that it makes it that much more cumbersome with a larger body. Voting boards won’t fit. We just have all kinds of problems under 14B.
“JUSTICE HUNTLEY: Mr. Montgomery, you state that the legislature did consider a number of plans. Was serious consideration given to any plans which reduced the size of the Senate and the House?
“MR. MONTGOMERY: Mr. Chief Justice and Justice Huntley, yes, there was serious consideration given. We could not achieve a concensus on both sides of the House among both parties for a plan that would do that because of the many consideration that have been discussed previously.
“CHIEF JUSTICE DONALDSON: Any other questions? Thank you.”
Leaving it to the reader to decide for himself or herself the validity of the charges made against the Court’s majority opinion, I turn to two other facets of the dissenting opinion of Justice Bakes. In discussing his assertion “that the defendants’ constitutional rights have been violated in this reapportionment dispute,” at p. 560 he points out that the petitioners, Hellar, et al., on March 31, 1982, (which would have been at or near the end of the 1982 legislative session) filed an original proceeding in this Court challenging the constitutionality of H.B. 830, as passed and enacted into law. Justice Bakes then notes that “This Court in an order dated April 2, 1982, refused to grant that original proceeding ____” The Court did not refuse, and what actually happened was the summary entry of an order denying the relief sought:
“ORDER
“WHEREAS, the Petitioners herein, by and through their attorney of record, filed with the Clerk of this Court on the 31st day of March, 1982, a VERIFIED PETITION FOR ALTERNATIVE WRITS OF MANDATE AND PROHIBITION, and a BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF REQUEST FOR ALTERNATIVE WRITS OF MANDATE AND PROHIBITION, AND
“WHEREAS, the Court has fully read and considered the said VERIFIED PETITION and the said BRIEF and being advised in the premises,
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AND THIS DOES ORDER that the said Verified Petition be and the same hereby is DENIED.”
It will be noted that it was under the stewardship of Justice Bakes as Chief Justice that summary disposition was so made — in a manner of less than two working days! The file in that case shows that Mr. Givens filed the petition on Wednesday, March 31, and that although the order of denial was entered on April 2, Justice Bakes as Chief Justice, knowing that one member of the Court would not be available on April 1, brought the petition before the Court on the day after it was filed and garnered the votes of Shepard and McFadden, JJ.,2 to add to his own vote in denying *605the petition. In that manner Justice Bakes served the requirements of due process. In that manner the rules of this Court allowing time for consideration and discussion were fulfilled. But, perhaps that was a justifiable rush to judgment, the thought of which today is abhorrent to the Justice.
It is also suggested in that dissent that the defendants sue today’s majority for injunctive and other relief, including perhaps damages, costs, and attorneys’ fees. I have but little to say to such a display of non-judicial temperament. First, it is not the shocking surprise it would otherwise be had the proponent not also suggested to Utah Power & Light Company that there should be some way that UP & L could later recover its losses where it had not availed itself of the right to a stay order under statutory procedures. This led to Utah Power & Light v. Idaho Public Utilities Commission, 83 I.S.C.R. 921 (issued June 6, 1983), now pending on rehearing, where UP & L, in apparent reliance on the invitation, sought to impose a surcharge on present customers for losses incurred with past customers. At another time the Justice suggested to counsel for UP & L that it give consideration to suing the State of Idaho in inverse condemnation to rectify losses allegedly incurred as a result of erroneous ratemaking decisions of the Public Utilities Commission.
As a parting thought, reference is made to the contention advanced by the dissenters that the enactments of the legislative branch of government are presumed to be constitutional. No quarrel is made with that generality. But, in this particular case, however, our concern is with a reapportionment enactment, H.B. 746 (1984), which was the last-ditch effort of a legislature which was unconstitutionally constituted under H.B. 830 (1982). Only because of exigent circumstances and the grace of the district court, as affirmed by this Court, were the 1983 and 1984 legislatures allowed to convene.
Anent Justice Shepard’s opinion wherein he castigates this Court's “paranoid attitude toward legislative attempts to reapportion and its own dogmatic and dictatorial adoption of Plan 14-B,” p. 26, while ordinarily where paranoia is concerned, I yield to the views of Justice Shepard, in this particular case nothing surfaces but a case of sour grapes. The problem he encounters is one which eventually besets the dictators of whom he writes — but certainly not the unobtrusive majority in this case.
Perhaps amidst the clamor that has arisen proclaiming the alleged confusion of the electorate and the supposed disenfranchisement of the citizenry from their right to seek office, some voice should be heard in defense of the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Idaho — by which people create governments and under which they govern themselves. It is these Charters for self-government that truly give rise to a government not of men but of laws.
It should have surprised no one that a district judge sworn to uphold the state and federal constitutions — following a prolonged and extensive trial whereat the State was given every opportunity and unheard of judicial forbearance — held H.B. 830 unconstitutional. Nor should it have surprised anyone that at least three justices of this Court, also sworn to uphold those constitutions, would hold H.B. 746 invalid. That at the very end of the legislative session both Democrats and Republicans alike were unanimous in preferring H.B. 746 to Plan 14-B, as was the Governor as well, has naught to do with a court’s function in passing upon a question of constitutionality. One would like to oblige and please a legislature and a Governor, but one cannot justify doing so at the expense of reneging upon a solemn oath.
Reapportionment being already a matter of public interest, that interest will likely *606be heightened in the eyes of those who chance to read the particularly unusual attack of the dissenting justices on the majority opinion. Public broadcasting has seen fit to give the public the benefit of the views of Mike Mitchell, Jay Webb, Dean Summers, and Mike Gwartney, on the legislature’s ability to reapportion itself. Public interest might well receive the comments of that or a similar panel in connection with the Lewiston hearing — the whole of which was carefully videotaped and should be available. In that manner the viewing as well as the reading public could better decide if the majority of this Court has indeed trampled upon the rights of the defendants as the dissenters proclaim.

. It will be noted that under constraints of time and in the interests of brevity, I have not included the remarks of Mr. Costello, who appeared on behalf of the Governor. His remarks in the main conveyed the Governor’s point of view that H.B. 746 was preferable to Plan 14-B. For certain, Mr. Costello claimed no deprivation of procedural rights.

. The public at large will recognize this coalition of votes as responsible for the ill-starred *605CWIP case, Utah Power & Light Co. v. Idaho Public Utilities Commission, 105 Idaho 822, 673 P.2d 422 (1983). The trial bench and bar will recognize the same coalition as responsible for the notorious Chandler opinion, Chandler Supply Co. v. City of Boise, 104 Idaho 480, 660 P.2d 1323 (1983).