03/02/1993 01:00 PM House CRA

  HB 89:  BOROUGH ASSEMBLY APPORTIONMENT                                       
                                                                               
  Number 010                                                                   
                                                                               
  DAVID DIERDORFF, REVISOR OF STATUTES, DIVISION OF LEGAL                      
  SERVICES, LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS AGENCY, described the history                  
  and impact of HB 89 saying, "What passed in 1980 had some                    
  problems with it technically, and what passed again in 1985                  
  carried those problems forward.  This past year we replaced                  
  Title 29 as we do periodically...  I ran across this stuff                   
  and said, "What does this mean?"  I really couldn't follow                   
  it.  ...(I) researched the origin of the law and came up                     
  with what I thought the scheme was that the legislature                      
  intended in 1980, and what you're getting is my                              
  interpretation of that, which is really very modest                          
  amendments, but they had to be made."                                        
                                                                               
  MR. DIERDORFF continued, "Community and Regional Affairs                     
  looked at it, as the department responsible for these kinds                  
  of things, and they found no problems with it at all.                        
  Department of Law looked at it and they've agreed with me                    
  that it was just making it understandable.  So what you have                 
  in front of you is just some technical amendments to make                    
  the law more readable and more understandable to those that                  
  have to carry it out."                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 141                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DAVIES asked if the local government                     
  appeal process of petitioning would remain the same.                         
                                                                               
  MR. DIERDORFF said, "Exactly the same."                                      
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES asked if there was an appeal process                   
  beyond the commissioner's decision to order local elections.                 
                                                                               
  MR. DIERDORFF indicated appeals could be taken to a Superior                 
  Court.                                                                       
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES asked, "Does anything we're doing here                 
  change the ability of a borough to be represented at large?"                 
                                                                               
  Mr. DIERDORFF replied in the negative, and gave an example.                  
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE DAVIES confirmed his understanding of the                     
  example.                                                                     
                                                                               
  Number 177                                                                   
                                                                               
  REPRESENTATIVE CON BUNDE MOVED that HB 89 be moved out of                    
  committee with individual recommendations.                                   
                                                                               
  There were no objections and, therefore, HB 89 MOVED out of                  
  committee with individual recommendations.                                   
                                                                               
  CHAIRMAN OLBERG called an at ease at 1:09 p.m.