Legislative Districts Legislation Dies in Committee
Air Date:01/26/2011
By Jackelyn Severin
A measure dealing with legislative districts has been defeated by the House State Affairs Committee. House Bill 1075 splits any legislative districts with five or more counties into two single-member districts.
Currently the state has two single-member sub-districts in northwest and south central South Dakota. House Bill 1075 creates three more in districts 6, 21 and 23. Republican Representative Jim Bolin of Canton says these districts are becoming geographically larger making it harder for lawmakers to meet with their constituents. He says House Bill 1075 provides for better representation in rural areas.
Bolin says, "I believe it will facilitate good government, citizen contact and make legislative service more attractive to more people."
The committee killed the bill by a vote of 9 to 4.
Lawmakers will begin to choose new legislative districts after information from the 2010 Census comes in later this year.
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