2004 -- H 8714 ======= LC03820 ======= STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2004 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO THE COMP OSITION OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Introduced By: Representative Gordon D. Fox Date Introduced: July 30, 2004 Referred To: House read and passed It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Section 22-2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 22-2 entitled "Composition 2 of House of Representatives" is hereby amended to read as follows: 3 22-2-2. Districts. -- [Note: This section is set out as it appears in P.L. 2002, ch. 4. 4 However, the director of law revision of the joint committee on legislative services anticipates 5 several substantive changes that will require further legislative action. Section 22-11-3.4 6 precludes the presentation of these expected changes, as such action would exceed the authority 7 granted.]The state is hereby divided into seventy-five (75) representative districts bounded and 8 described as follows: 9 (1) It is understood and intended that for the purpose of this section a line described as 10 running on, along, to or through any street (including road, avenue, lane, way, parkway, 11 expressway, divided Highway, state route or interstate route, or trail), stream or river, is intended 12 to mean the centerline of that street, stream or river, in all instances, unless the same shall be 13 otherwise specified. 14 (2) It is further understood and intended that for the purpose of this section, the districts 15 described in this section shall be composed of United States census geography (tracts and blocks), 16 as defined by the 2000 version of the "TIGER" files from the United States Census Bureau, 17 whose boundaries correspond to the below metes and bounds set forth in this section and hereby 18 made a part of this chapter. A listing of which census blocks are contained within each district 19 shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference. 1 (3) (i) It is further understood and intended that for the purpose of this section, the 2 districts will be depicted on thirty-nine (39) maps, compiled by Election Data Services, Inc. for 3 each city and town, and hereinafter may be referred to as town maps. 4 (ii) The secretary of state shall keep a copy of each set of the foregoing maps and a copy 5 of the census tract and block listing available for inspection during ordinary business hours at his 6 or her office. The secretary of state shall furnish each city and town a copy of the town map 7 covering that particular city or town within ten (10) days from the date of passage of this act 8 [February 20, 2002]. 9 (iii) For purposes of this title, references to "tract" or "CT" shall mean "census tract", as 10 that demographic unit is established by the United States Bureau of the Census for the 2000 11 census as described by maps and publications of the bureau. References to "block", "blocks", 12 "block groups", "enumeration district", or "enumeration districts", refer to those demographic 13 units as established by the United States Census Bureau for the 2000 census as described by maps 14 and publications of the bureau. 15 (iv) Any reference to a "city or town", "city or town boundaries", or "city or town limits" 16 shall refer to the boundaries or limits of the particular city or town as they existed on January 1, 17 2000. 18 (v) In the census tract and block listing, the first two (2) digits of a census description 19 shall refer to the state of Rhode Island (44), the next three (3) digits of a census description shall 20 refer to the county in which the district lies. Bristol county carries the code 001; Kent county 21 carries the code 003; Newport county carries the code 005; Providence county carries the code 22 007 and Washington county carries the code 009. The next six (6) digits refer to the census tract 23 within the county set forth in the description. The last four (4) digits refer to the census block 24 within the census tract. "TIGER" is an acronym for the computer readable geographic data base 25 that automates the mapping and related geographic activities required to support the United 26 States' Census Bureau's census and survey programs and stands for "Topologically Integrated 27 Geographic Encoding and Referencing." 28 (vi) If any census tract, block, block group, or enumeration district is omitted, listed 29 more than once, or is only partially provided for, it is intended that the districts be defined in such 30 a manner as to not omit any area of Rhode Island from a district and to comply with the standard 31 of Articles VII and VIII of the Rhode Island Constitution requiring that districts be reasonably 32 equal. In order to carry out the intent of the general assembly as expressed in this section the 33 secretary of state, shall if necessary, undertake measures to insure compliance with this section. 34 (vii) In the event of a discrepancy between the metes and bounds description, the 2 1 description by census tracts and blocks, and the maps which shall be on file with the secretary of 2 state, then the listing of census tracts and blocks shall take precedence and be controlling. 3 First District: The first representative district shall consist of all of that part of the city of 4 Providence bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of Huxley Avenue and Admiral Street; 5 thence easterly on Admiral Street to Douglas Avenue; thence northwesterly on Douglas Avenue 6 to Corina Street; thence northeasterly on Corina Street to Appian Street; thence northwesterly on 7 Appian Street to Corina Street; thence northeasterly on Corina Street to Glasgow Street; thence 8 southeasterly on Glasgow Street to Anchor Street; thence northeasterly on Anchor Street to 9 Yorkshire Street; thence easterly on Yorkshire Street to Hawkins Street; thence northeasterly on 10 Hawkins Street to Branch Avenue; thence southwesterly on Branch Avenue to Luna Street; 11 thence easterly on Luna Street to Ascham Street; thence northwesterly on Ascham Street to Mc 12 Millen Street; thence northeasterly on Mc Millen Street to Northrup Avenue; thence continuing 13 northeasterly on Northrup Avenue to Flora Street; thence southwesterly on Flora Street to Branch 14 Avenue; thence southeasterly on Branch Avenue to Interstate Route 95; thence southerly on 15 Interstate Route 95 to the former New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad (hereinafter, 16 simply the "New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad"); thence southwesterly on New York 17 New Haven and Hartford Railroad to a line extended westerly to Francis Street; thence westerly 18 along that line (boundary line between census blocks 440070008001022 and 440070008001021) 19 to a line extended southwesterly and westerly to Promenade Street; thence southwesterly and 20 westerly along that line (boundary line between census blocks 440070008001025 and 21 440070008001026) thence westerly to Promenade Street; thence continuing westerly on 22 Promenade Street to Interstate Route 95; thence southerly on Interstate Route 95 to Providence 23 Place; thence westerly on Providence Place to Harris Avenue; continuing westerly on Harris 24 Avenue to Dean Street; thence northerly on Dean Street to Pleasant Valley Parkway; thence 25 northwesterly on Pleasant Valley Parkway to Raymond Street; thence continuing northwesterly 26 on Raymond Street to Oakland Avenue; thence northerly on Oakland Avenue to Smith Street; 27 thence northwesterly on Smith Street to Huxley Avenue; thence northerly on Huxley Avenue to 28 the point of origin. 29 Second District: The second representative district shall consist of all of that part of the 30 city of Providence bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate Route 95 and 31 Washington Street; thence northeasterly on Washington Street to Empire Street; thence 32 northwesterly on Empire Street to Fountain Street; thence northeasterly on Fountain Street to 33 Exchange Terrace; thence continuing northeasterly on Exchange Terrace to Cookson Place; 34 thence northerly on Cookson Place to Memorial Boulevard; thence southeasterly on Memorial 3 1 Boulevard to Exchange Terrace; thence northeasterly on Exchange Terrace to Steeple Street; 2 thence continuing northeasterly on Steeple Street to North Main Street; thence southerly on North 3 Main Street to South Main Street; thence continuing southerly on South Main Street to Power 4 Street; thence easterly on Power Street to Cooke Street; thence northerly on Cooke Street to 5 Young Orchard Avenue; thence westerly on Young Orchard Avenue to Governor Street; thence 6 northerly on Governor Street to Angell Street; thence easterly on Angell Street to Paterson Street; 7 thence southerly on Paterson Street to Henderson Bridge; thence easterly across Henderson 8 Bridge to the Providence-East Providence boundary line in the Seekonk River; thence 9 southwesterly along the Providence-East Providence boundary line to the Providence River; 10 thence northwesterly on the Providence River to Point Street; thence westerly on Point Street to 11 Interstate Route 95; thence northwesterly on Interstate Route 95 to the point of origin. 12 The second representative district shall also consist of all of that part of the city of East 13 Providence bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of the East Providence-Providence 14 boundary line and Henderson Bridge; thence easterly across Henderson Bridge to North 15 Broadway; thence southwesterly on North Broadway to Taunton Avenue; thence southwesterly 16 on Taunton Avenue to Interstate 195; thence continuing southwesterly on Interstate 195 to the 17 East Providence-Providence boundary line; thence northeasterly along the East Providence- 18 Providence boundary line to the point of origin.