2004 -- S 3137 ======= LC03488 ======= STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2004 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY -- COMPOSITION OF THE SENATE Introduced By: Senator J Montalbano Date Introduced: May 20, 2004 Referred To: Senate Judiciary It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1 SECTION 1. Sections 17-14-1.2 and 17-14-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 17-14 2 entitled "Nomination of Party and Independent Candidates" are hereby amended to read as 3 follows: 4 17-14-1.2. Candidate required to be a qualified voter in the election. – (a) No person 5 shall be eligible to file a declaration of candidacy as an independent candidate nor shall a person 6 be eligible to be a candidate or be eligible to be voted for unless the person shall, at the time of 7 filing the declaration, be qualified to vote in the election within the district for the office which 8 that person seeks. 9 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, individuals residing in state 10 senate districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 and 17 may file a declaration of candidacy for state 11 senator and/or senatorial district committee member for those senate districts for the 2004 12 election pursuant to section 17-14-1, provided they were registered to vote in the election for that 13 district on or before June 16, 2004. 14 17-14-2. Candidate required to be a qualified voter in the primary. – (a) No person 15 shall be eligible to file a declaration of candidacy, or be eligible to be a candidate or be eligible to 16 be voted for or to be nominated or elected in a party primary unless the person, at the time of 17 filing the declaration, is qualified to vote in a primary within the district for the office which he or 18 she seeks. 19 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, individuals residing in state 1 senate districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 16 and 17 may file a declaration of candidacy for state 2 senator and/or senatorial district committee member for those senate districts for the 2004 3 election pursuant to section 17-14-1, provided they were registered to vote in the election for that 4 district on or before June 16, 2004. 5 SECTION 2 Section 22-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 22-1 entitled "Composition 6 of Senate" is hereby amended to read as follows: 7 22-1-2. Districts. -- The state is hereby divided into thirty-eight (38) senatorial districts 8 bounded and 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 center line of that street, stream or river, in all instances, unless it shall be otherwise 13 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 which 18 are hereby made a part of this chapter. A listing of which census blocks are contained within each 19 district shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference. 20 (3) (i) It is further understood and intended that for the purpose of this section, the 21 districts will be depicted on thirty-nine (39) maps, compiled by Election Data Services, Inc. for 22 each city and town, and hereinafter may be referred to as town maps. 23 (ii) The secretary of state shall keep a copy of each set of the foregoing maps and a copy 24 of the census tract and block listing available for inspection during ordinary business hours at his 25 or her office. The secretary of state shall furnish each city and town a copy of the town map 26 covering that particular city or town within ten (10) days from the passage of this act. [February 27 20, 2002]. 28 (iii) For purposes of this title, references to "tract" or "CT" shall mean "census tract", as 29 that demographic unit is established by the United States Bureau of the Census for the 2000 30 census as described by maps and publications of the bureau. References to "block", "blocks", 31 "block groups", "enumeration district", or "enumeration districts", refer to those demographic 32 units as established by the United States Census Bureau for the 2000 census as described by maps 33 and publications of the bureau. 34 (iv) Any reference to a "city or town", "city or town boundaries", or "city or town limits" 2 1 shall refer to the boundaries or limits of the particular city or town as they existed on January 1, 2 2000. 3 (v) In the census tract and block listing, the first two (2) digits of a census description 4 shall refer to the state of Rhode Island (44), the next three (3) digits of a census description shall 5 refer to the county in which the district lies. Bristol county carries the code 001; Kent county 6 carries the code 003; Newport county carries the code 005; Providence county carries the code 7 007 and Washington county carries the code 009. The next six (6) digits refer to the census tract 8 within the county set forth in the description. The last four (4) digits refer to the census block 9 within the census tract. "TIGER" is an acronym for the computer readable geographic data base 10 that automates the mapping and related geographic activities required to support the United 11 States' Census Bureau's census and survey programs and stands for "Topologically Integrated 12 Geographic Encoding and Referencing." 13 (vi) If any census tract, block, block group, or enumeration district is omitted, listed 14 more than once, or is only partially provided for, it is intended that the districts be defined in such 15 a manner as to not omit any area of Rhode Island from a district and to comply with the standard 16 of Articles VII and VIII of the Rhode Island Constitution requiring that districts be reasonably 17 equal. In order to carry out the intent of the general assembly as expressed in this section the 18 secretary of state, shall if necessary, undertake measures to insure compliance with this section. 19 (vii) In the event of a discrepancy between the metes and bounds description, the 20 description of census tracts and blocks, and the maps which shall be on file with the secretary of 21 state, then the listing of census tracts and blocks shall take precedence and be controlling. 22 First district: The first senatorial district shall consist of all of that part of the city of 23 Providence bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of Interstate Route 95 and the 24 Providence-Pawtucket boundary line; thence easterly along the Providence-Pawtucket boundary 25 line to the Seekonk River; thence southerly along the Seekonk River to Henderson Bridge; thence 26 westerly across Henderson Bridge to Paterson Street; thence northerly on Paterson Street to 27 Angell Street; thence southwesterly on Angell Street to Hope Street; thence southerly on Hope 28 street to Interstate Route 195; thence westerly on Interstate Route 195 to Point Street; thence 29 southwesterly on Point Street to the Providence River; thence northwesterly along the Providence 30 River to Interstate Route 195; thence westerly on Interstate Route 195 to Chestnut Street; thence 31 northwesterly on Chestnut Street to Pine Street; thence northeasterly on Pine Street to Richmond 32 Street; thence northwesterly on Richmond Street to Weybosset Street; thence northeasterly on 33 Weybosset Street to Union Street; thence northwesterly on Union Street to Westminster Street; 34 thence northeasterly on Westminster Street to Eddy Street; thence northwesterly on Eddy Street 3 1 to Washington Street; thence northeasterly on Washington Street to Cookson Place; thence 2 northerly on Cookson Place to Memorial Boulevard to Exchange Terrace; thence northeasterly on 3 Exchange Terrace to Steeple Street; thence continuing northeasterly on Steeple Street to North 4 Main Street; thence northerly on North Main Street to Branch Avenue; thence northwesterly on 5 Branch Avenue to Interstate Route 95; thence northerly on Interstate Route 95 to the point of 6 origin. 7 The first senatorial district shall consist of all of that part of the city of Providence 8 bounded by a line beginning at the intersection of Academy street and Smith street; thence 9 southeasterly along Smith street to Oakland avenue; thence northerly on Oakland avenue to Eaton 10 street; thence westerly on Eaton street to Huxley avenue; thence northerly on Huxley avenue to 11 Admiral street; thence easterly on Admiral street to Douglas street; thence northwesterly on 12 Douglas street to Corina street; thence northeasterly on Corina street to Appian street; thence 13 northwesterly on Appian street to Corina street; thence northeasterly on Corina street to Glasgow 14 street; thence southeasterly on Glasgow street to Anchor street; thence northeasterly on Anchor 15 street to Yorkshire street; thence easterly on Yorkshire street to Hawkins street; thence 16 northeasterly on Hawkins street to Branch avenue; thence southeasterly on Branch avenue to 17 Charles street; thence northerly on Charles street to Marietta street; thence northeasterly on 18 Marietta street to Hall street; thence northerly on Hall street to Ledge street; thence easterly on 19 Ledge street