Apportionment of Senate, In re

• Decision Date: 01 February 1972
• Parties: In re APPORTIONMENT OF SENATE.
• Court: Maine Supreme Court

Page 421

287 A.2d 421

In re APPORTIONMENT OF SENATE.

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine.

Feb. 1, 1972.

As Amended March 1, 1972.

ARMAND A. DUFRESNE, Jr.

Chief Justice.

ORDER

Whereas the 105th Legislature failed effectively to perform its assigned constitutional task to 'cause the State to be divided into districts for the choice of a Senator from each district' prior to January 1, 1972 pursuant to Section 2 of Part Second of Article IV of the Constitution as amended by Article CX effective November 17, 1969.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution in said Article CX, which read:

'In the event that the Legislature shall fail to make an apportionment, the Supreme Judicial Court shall, within sixty days following the end of the period in which the legislature is required to act, but fails to do so, make the apportionment. . . .',

the Supreme Judicial Court, the Justices unanimously agreeing thereto, does hereby make the apportionment by causing the State to be divided into thirty-three districts for the choice of Senators, and does hereby ESTABLISH the following districts for the choice of a Senator from each district:

District Number One, consisting of the municipalities of Eliot, Kittery, North Berwick, South Berwick, Wells, and York;

District Number Two, consisting of the municipalities of Arundel, Biddeford, Dayton, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport;

District Number Three, consisting of the municipalities of Acton, Alfred, Berwick, Cornish, Lebanon, Limerick, Limington, Lyman, Newfield, Parsonfield, Sanford, Shapleigh, and Waterboro;

District Number Four, consisting of the municipalities of Buxton, Hollis, Old Orchard Beach, and Saco in York County, Scarborough in Cumberland County and District Number Five, consisting of the municipalities of Bridgton, Harrison, and Otisfield in Cumberland County, Bethel, Canton, Gilead, Milton Township, Peru, and all other municipalities and unorganized territories in Oxford County lying south of said five above named, except Hebron;

that part of the City of South Portland, known as 'Sunset Park', bounded easterly by U. S. Route 1 (Main Street), southerly by the Scarborough-South Portland line, westerly by the Scarborough Connector highway, so-called, and northerly by the turnpike access highway running between Main Street, South Portland, and Maine Turnpike Exit #7;

District Number Six, consisting of the municipalities of Baldwin, Casco, Cumberland, Falmouth, Gray, Naples, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Raymond, Sebago, and Windham;

District Number Seven, consisting of the municipalities of Gorham, Standish, Westbrook, and the precinct numbered six-two (6-2), as presently constituted, in the City of Portland;

District Number Eight, consisting of the municipalities of Cape Elizabeth and South Portland, excepting that part of the City of South Portland, known as 'Sunset Park', bounded easterly by U. S. Route 1 (Main Street), southerly by the Scarborough-South Portland line, westerly by the Scarborough Connector highway, so-called, and northerly by the turnpike access highway running between Main Street, South Portland, and Maine Turnpike Exit #7;

District Number Nine, consisting of the precincts in the City of Portland numbered one-one (1-1), one-two (1-2), one-three (1-3), one-four (1-4), one-five (1-5), two-one (2-1), two-two (2-2) and three-one (3-1), as presently constituted;

District Number Ten, consisting of the precincts in the City of Portland numbered three-two (3-2), four-one (4-1), four-two (4-2), five-one (5-1), five-two (5-2), and six-one (6-1), as presently constituted;

District Number Eleven, consisting of the municipalities of Brunswick, Freeport, Harpswell, and Yarmouth in Cumberland County, and Durham in Androscoggin County;

District Number Twelve, consisting of the municipalities of Auburn, Mechanic Falls, Minot, and Poland in Androscoggin County, and Hebron in Oxford County;

District Number Thirteen, consisting of the wards in the City of Lewiston numbered one (1), two (2), three (3), four (4), and five (5), as presently constituted;

District Number Fourteen, consisting of the municipalities of Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Perkins Township, Richmond, and Topsham in Sagadahoc County, Lisbon, Sabattus, Wales, and the wards in the City of Lewiston numbered six (6) and seven (7), as presently constituted, in Androscoggin County;

District Number Fifteen, consisting of the municipalities of Greene, Leeds, Livermore, Livermore Falls, and Turner in Androscoggin County, Farmingdale, Gardiner, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Wayne, West Gardiner, and Winthrop in Kennebec County;

District Number Sixteen, consisting of Dixfield, Hanover, Mexico, Newry, Rumford and TA No. 1, and all other municipalities and unorganized territories in Oxford County lying north of the six above named, and all municipalities District Number Seventeen, consisting of the municipalities of Parkman and Wellington in Piscataquis County, Chesterville, Farmington, Freeman Township, Industry, Kingfield, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Reddington, Salem Township, Strong, Sugarload Township, T3R2, T4R1, and T4R3 in Franklin County, and all the municipalities and unorganized territories in Somerset County except Canaan, Fairfield, Mercer, Norridgewock, Pittsfield, Skowhegan, and Smithfield;

and unorganized territories in Franklin County except Chesterville, Farmington, Freeman Township, Industry, Kingfield, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Reddington, Salem Township, Strong, Sugarloaf Township, T3R2, T4R1, and T4R3;

District Number Eighteen, consisting of the municipalities of Mercer, Norridgewock, and Smithfield in Somerset County, Belgrade, Fayette, Mount Vernon, Oakland, Readfield, Rome, Sidney, Vienna, and Waterville in Kennebec County;

District Number Nineteen, consisting of the municipalities of Augusta, Chelsea, Hallowell, Vassalboro, and Windsor in Kennebec County;

District Number Twenty, consisting of the municipalities of Pittston and Randolph in Kennebec County, Arrowsic, Bath, Georgetown, Phippsburg, West Bath, and Woolwich in Sagadahoc County, Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Dresden, Edgecomb, Hibberts Gore, Jefferson, New Castle, Somerville Plantation, Southport, Westport, Whitefield, and Wiscasset in Lincoln County;

District Number Twenty-One, consisting of the municipalities of Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Nobleboro, South Bristol, and Waldoboro in Lincoln County, Cushing, Friendship, Martinicus Isle, Monhegan Plantation, North Haven, Owl's Head, Rockland, South Thomaston, St. George, Thomaston, Union, Vinal Haven, Warren, and Washington in Knox County;

District Number Twenty-Two, consisting of the municipalities of Appleton, Camden, Hope, and Rockport in Knox County, China in Kennebec County, and all of the municipalities in Waldo County except Winterport;

District Number Twenty-Three, consisting of the municipalities of Canaan, Fairfield, Pittsfield, and Skowhegan in Somerset County, Albion, Benton, Clinton, Unity Township, and Winslow in Kennebec County;

District Number Twenty-Four, consisting of the muncipalities of Bucksport and Orland in Hancock County, Winterport in Waldo County, Carmel, Corinna, Dexter, Dixmont, Etna, Exeter, Garland, Hampden, Hermon, Newburgh, Newport, Orrington, Plymouth, and Stetson in Penoboscot County;

District Number Twenty-Five, consisting of the wards in...