Bill Text: GA HB420 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Counties; redistrict themselves following decennial census; authorize

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-03 - House Second Readers [HB420 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-HB420-Introduced.html

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11 LC 28 5596

House Bill 420

By: Representative Lane of the 167th

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which is reserved, so as to authorize county governing authorities under certain conditions to redistrict themselves by ordinance or resolution following each decennial census; to provide for procedures; to provide for limitations; to provide for related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Article 1 of Chapter 5 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, which is reserved, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:

"36-5-1.

(a) Subject to the limitations provided by this Code section, the governing authority of any county is authorized to adjust the election districts from which members of the county governing authority are elected following publication of the United States decennial census of 2010 or any future such census. Such adjustment of districts shall be effective for the election of members to the county governing authority at the next regular general election following the publication of the decennial census.

(b) The county governing authority shall by ordinance or resolution amend its charter pursuant to Article IX, Section II of the Constitution to adjust the districts in accordance with the following specifications:

(1) Each adjusted district shall be formed of contiguous territory and the boundary lines of such district shall be the center lines of streets or other well-defined boundaries;

(2) Variations in population among such districts shall comply with the one person-one vote requirements of the United States Constitution; and

(3) The adjustment of districts shall be limited to adjusting the boundary lines of the existing districts only to the extent reasonably necessary to comply with the requirements of paragraph (2) of this subsection; and the number of members of the county governing body and the manner of electing such members, except for the adjustment of district boundary lines, shall not be changed by the county governing authority.

(c) This Code section shall not prohibit the General Assembly from enacting a local law at any time to amend the local Act creating a county governing authority in order to reapportion or otherwise change election districts from which members of the county governing authority are elected. If such action is taken by the General Assembly following publication of a decennial census, but before the first regular general election following the publication of such census, the local Act of the General Assembly shall nullify the power given to the county governing authority by subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section to adjust districts following publication of that decennial census."

SECTION 2.

This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law without such approval.

SECTION 3.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.