2022 -- S 2526

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LC004824

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF

     AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION COMPOSITION OF THE SENATE

     Introduced By: Senators de la Cruz, and Rogers

     Date Introduced: March 01, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     RESOLVED, That majority of all members elected to each house of the general assembly

voting therefor, the following amendment to the Constitution of the state be proposed to the

qualified electors of the state in accordance with the provisions of Article XIV of the Constitution

for their approval and that it take place of Article VIII, Section 1, which is hereby amended,

effective January 1, 2023, to read as follows:

     Section 1. Composition.

     The senate shall consist of the lieutenant governor and fifty members from the senatorial

districts in the state, provided, however, that commencing in 2003 the senate shall consist of

thirty-eight members from the senatorial districts in the state. The senate shall be constituted on

the basis of population and as compact in territory as possible. The general assembly shall, after

any new census taken by authority of the United States, reapportion the representation to conform

to the Constitution of the state and the Constitution of the United State. Commencing in 2023, the

senate shall consist of thirty-nine members, one from each city and town.

     RESOLVED, That this amendment shall take in the Constitution of the state the place of

Section 1, Article VIII, of the Constitution, effective January 1, 2023; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the said proposition of amendment shall be submitted to the electors

for their approval or rejection at the next statewide general election. The voting places in the

several cities and towns shall be kept open during the hours required by law for voting therein for

general officers of the state; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State shall cause the said proposition of amendment

to be published as a part of the resolution in the newspapers of the state prior to the date of the

said meetings of the said electors; and the said proposition shall be inserted in the warrants or

notices to be issued previous to said meetings of the electors for the purpose of warning the town,

ward, or district meetings, and said proposition shall be read by the town, ward, or district

meetings to be held as aforesaid; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the town, ward, and district meetings to be held as aforesaid shall be

warned, and the list of voters shall be canvassed and made up, and the said town, ward, and

district meetings shall be conducted in the same manner as now provided by law for the town,

ward, and district meetings for the elections of general officers of the state.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

J O I N T   R E S O L U T I O N

TO APPROVE AND PUBLISH AND SUBMIT TO THE ELECTORS A PROPOSITION OF

     AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION COMPOSITION OF THE SENATE

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     This joint resolution would submit to the electors for approval a proposed constitutional

amendment, which would increase the number of senators from thirty-eight (38) to thirty-nine

(39), one for each city and town, notwithstanding their varying populations.

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LC004824

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