04/08/1999 08:05 AM House STA

SJR 8 FAIR AND ACCURATE CENSUS                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JAMES announced SJR 8, Relating to the 2000 decennial United                                                              
States census and to the development of redistricting data for use                                                              
by the state in legislative redistricting, is before the committee.                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Number 139                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MARK HODGINS, Administrative Assistant, presented SJR 8 on behalf                                                               
of Senator Ward.  He explained SJR 8, relating to the census that's                                                             
coming up, asks for an actual nose-count rather than using                                                                      
statistical methods to determine how many people are in each                                                                    
district.  The problem with determining it by statistical methods                                                               
is that: there is a lot of room for speculation and error, there's                                                              
a lot of room for litigation and it dilutes the "one person, one                                                                
vote" concept.  He said this resolution is simply asking that                                                                   
Congress and the Bureau of Census have a count that's an actual                                                                 
enumerated count, or a nose-count.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JAMES noted that Representative Kerttula was present.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Number 175                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE OGAN moved to report SJR 8 out of committee with                                                                 
individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note.                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE SMALLEY objected.  He asked if there would be a cost                                                             
attached to it for the nose-count.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR JAMES pointed out that it would only be a federal cost.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further objections, SJR 8 moved out of committee                                                                 
with individual recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal                                                                
note.