Joint Order To Establish the Commission To Reapportion Maine's Congressional Districts

ORDERED, the Senate concurring, that, notwithstanding Joint Rule 353, the Commission to Reapportion Maine's Congressional Districts is established as follows.

1. Commission to Reapportion Maine's Congressional Districts established. The Commission to Reapportion Maine's Congressional Districts, referred to in this order as "the commission," is established.

2. Membership. The commission consists of 15 members appointed or invited as specified in this section.

3. Commission chair; quorum. The Speaker of the House shall organize the commission and is the chair pro tempore thereof until a permanent chair is selected by the commission members from among their own number. Action may not be taken by the commission without a quorum of 8 members present.

4. Appointments; convening of commission. All appointments must be made no later than 7 days following passage of this order. The appointing authorities shall notify the Executive Director of the Legislative Council once all appointments have been made. When the appointment of all members has been completed, the chair of the commission shall call and convene the first meeting of the commission. If 7 days or more after the passage of this order a majority of but not all appointments have been made, the chair may request authority and the Legislative Council may grant authority for the commission to meet and conduct its business.

5. Duties. The commission shall review the State's existing congressional districts. If the districts do not conform to Supreme Judicial Court guidelines, the commission shall reapportion the State into 2 congressional districts for the election of representatives to the United States Congress in accordance with the requirements contained in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21‑A, section 1206, subsection 1. The commission shall hold public hearings on any plan for apportionment prior to submitting the plan to the Legislature.

6. Staff; compensation. The commission may hire staff determined necessary by the chair to complete the duties specified in section 5. Public members of the commission must receive the same rate of per diem that is paid to Legislators for every day's attendance at special sessions of the Legislature as specified in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 2. All members of the commission must be reimbursed for actual travel expenses incurred in carrying out the business of the commission.

7. Report; legislative intent. The commission shall submit a report no later than August 31, 2011 that includes its recommendations, including a suggested reapportionment plan and emergency legislation to implement that plan, to the 125th Legislature. It is the intent of the Legislature that these recommendations be acted on by the 125th Legislature convened in special session prior to September 30, 2011.