Following each decennial Census of the United States, Rhode Island, like most states, must redraw existing congressional and state legislative districts based on the principal of one-person, one-vote. While the ultimate responsibility for the redrawing process lies with the Rhode Island Legislature, this decade, like in 1990, the Legislature has established a Special Commission on Reapportionment. The Commission recommended plans for congressional, senatorial and representative districts for enactment by the 2002 Rhode Island General Assembly.
Articles VII and VIII of the Constitution of Rhode Island require representative and senatorial districts to be “as nearly equal in population…as possible.” Article 1 of the United States Constitution requires that the House of Representatives be apportioned among the states “according to their respective numbers.” Periodic redistricting is necessary to equalize district populations that change over time due to population shifts. The decennial census provides the demographic data needed to equalize district populations.
In 2002 another redistricting requirement was implemented. This requirement, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1994, reduces the number of representative and senatorial districts. The amendment provided for the House of Representatives to be reduced from 100 to 75 members, and the Senate to be reduced from 50 to 38 members, commencing in 2003. Representative and senatorial districts drawn after the 2000 census will be for the 2002 elections for members of the General Assembly to be seated in 2003.
The Special Commission on Reapportionment had sixteen members. The commission included three representatives and three public members appointed by the Speaker of the House, two representatives appointed by the House Minority Leader, three senators and three public members appointed by the Senate Majority Leader, and two senators appointed by the Senate Minority Leader.
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Rhode Island General Assembly Reapportionment and Redistricting records, 2002-54, Rhode Island State Archives.
Legislative Re-Districting/Reapportionment Maps, 2002 (Accession 2002-54) contains official maps of the General Assembly’s Reapportionment Commission 78 maps (39 House and 39 Senate) and 2 map keys on foam core. (Maps created by Election Data Services, Washington, D.C. and dated 2/20/2002) These maps are arranged by municipality A-Z (house maps and senate maps). These maps do not reflect the court case in 2004. Maps were not updated to reflect the changes as a result of this case and the changes that occurred in 2005. Below are the public laws that reflect the changes in 2004 and 2005. 14.4 cubic feet
2005 Chapter 367 http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law05/law05367.htm
2004 Chapter 24 http://www.rilin.state.ri.us/PublicLaws/law04/law04024.htm
Reapportionment Committee records, 2001-2002 (Accession 2006-05) contains transcripts and VHS tapes of the General Assembly’s Reapportionment Commission 2001-2002. Besides the transcripts and the tapes, Box 2 has 1 map (folded) of Senate Plan Alternative E as amended 12/11/2001 (map is dated 12/12/2001). 2.4 cubic feet
Re-Districting Maps, 2002 (Accession 2008-43) contains PDF files that were downloaded from the Election Data Services website by the State Library. These maps are dated 2/12/2002 and are not the official maps of the 2002 Reapportionment Commission but can be considered drafts (for informational purposes only). They are arranged numerically by district number (house and senate). 111 files (21 mb)
Elmer E. Cornwell Jr. records, 1990-2001 (Accession 2010-16) contains the files of Elmer E. Cornwell Jr. who was a Professor of Political Science at Brown University, Little Compton Town Moderator, 1985 - 2004, member of the 1962 Commission On Reapportionment Of The House of Representatives, House Parliamentarian, 1977 - 2002 and Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House, 2003 - 2004. He was the House of Representatives' chief expert on Constitutional Conventions; Reapportionment and Municipal Home Rule Charters. These records contain information related to the 2000 United States Census and the state-level reapportionment and redistricting activities. 0.9 cubic feet
Maps, 1883-1988 (Bulk: 1970-1990) contains 123 maps including district maps and city and town maps. The maps were created by a variety of state and municipal entities. The maps include House and Senate district maps as well as maps of individual cities and towns showing representative districts and boundaries.
The Rhode Island General Assembly Reapportionment and Redistricting records are arranged into the following series:
Transferred from Rhode Island Reapportionment Commission on November 14, 2002.
Legislative Re-Districting/Reapportionment Maps, 2002 (Accession 2002-54) contains official maps of the General Assembly’s Reapportionment Commission 78 maps (39 House and 39 Senate) and 2 map keys on foam core. (Maps created by Election Data Services, Washington, D.C. and dated 2/20/2002) These maps are arranged by municipality A-Z (house maps and senate maps). These maps do not reflect the court case in 2004. Maps were not updated to reflect the changes as a result of this case and the changes that occurred in 2005.
Reapportionment Committee records, 2001-2002 (Accession 2006-05) contains transcripts and VHS tapes of the General Assembly’s Reapportionment Commission 2001-2002. Besides the transcripts and the tapes, Box 2 has 1 map (folded) of Senate Plan Alternative E as amended 12/11/2001 (map is dated 12/12/2001).
Reapportionment meetings
2 tapes
2 copies
Re-Districting Maps, 2002 (Accession 2008-43) contains PDF files that were downloaded from the Election Data Services website by the State Library. These maps are dated 2/12/2002 and are not the official maps of the 2002 Reapportionment Commission but can be considered drafts (for informational purposes only). They are arranged numerically by district number (house and senate).
Elmer E. Cornwell Jr. records, 1990-2001 (Accession 2010-16) contains the files of Elmer E. Cornwell Jr. who was a Professor of Political Science at Brown University, Little Compton Town Moderator, 1985 - 2004, member of the 1962 Commission On Reapportionment Of The House of Representatives, House Parliamentarian, 1977-2002 and Special Assistant to the Speaker of the House, 2003 - 2004. He was the House of Representatives' chief expert on Constitutional Conventions; Reapportionment and Municipal Home Rule Charters. These records contain information related to the 2000 United States Census and the state-level reapportionment and redistricting activities.
This series contains 123 individual maps including district maps, individual city and town maps showing representative districts and boundaries.