Senate Concurrent Resolution 535

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE MISSISSIPPI CONSTITUTION OF 1890 TO ESTABLISH CERTAIN STANDARDS FOR ESTABLISHING CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, TWO-THIRDS OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, WHICH TWO-THIRDS CONSISTS OF NOT LESS THAN A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS ELECTED TO EACH HOUSE, That the following amendment to the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 is proposed to the qualified electors of the state for ratification or rejection at an election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2019:

Amend the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 to add a new section to read as follows:

Section __. Standards for establishing congressional district boundaries. In establishing Congressional district boundaries:

(1) No apportionment plan or individual district shall be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor a political party or an incumbent; and districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or to diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice; and districts shall consist of contiguous territory.

(2) Unless compliance with the standards in this subsection conflicts with the standards in subsection (1) or with federal law, districts shall be as nearly equal in population as is practicable; districts shall be compact; and districts shall, where feasible, utilize existing political and geographical boundaries.

(3) The order in which the standards within subsections (1) and (2) of this section are set forth shall not be read to establish any priority of one standard over the other within that subsection.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this proposed amendment shall be submitted by the Secretary of State to the qualified electors at an election to be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November 2019, as provided by Section 273 of the Constitution and by general law.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the explanation of the amendment for the ballot shall read as follows: "This proposed constitutional amendment would require that Mississippi Congressional Districts plans proposed by the Mississippi Legislature:

(a) Shall not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party;

(b) Shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice;

(d) Must be compact, as equal in population as feasible, and where feasible must make use of existing city, county and geographical boundaries."