UF00083588_00039.pdf

UF00083588_00039.txt

UF00083588_00039_pdf.txt

LTATLMMWT 0F PERRY E. WUHRY

no Tciiuo.m.ron UNID In FRAMING amnurmrum RELATING To THE
HONSTITHTIONAL hmanOthUhhnhuT OF THE wonrm 0F nthhbbNTATIVES.

In coneiderinp Senntn Joint Reoolution 7, which provides a Senator
for each county, I w!e of the opinion that if the membership of the
Senate were to be apportioned on thr L "e or a Senator for each county
then the membership or Ebb House should be apportioned on the basin of
populntion. I W88 also or the uninzor hhnl chm membership of the House
should net he 30 lnPPe as to be unwial v rwv that the number of members
of the House shonld.rema1n constant.

It was a foronona conclusion that e H county would have to be
allowed at least one representative, regardless of its also, and thin
called for 67 rnpresantetiven. Therefore in order to hBV the majority
of the House of Represeninlivoc elected or thn nepulation basis it was
necessary to prevido for an uddltionol 68 rhoreeontativca, makinn a
total Houee membership of 135.

Under the Amendment, the additional or representntivno will be
apportioned to thr counties havinr a population in exceee of 8,000 each,
on a strict populatior Ennis. Thsc "1; Di done by tuulnr the population
in excess of a,000 in each COuth eno dividing such excess population
by NB, the number of additional representativee to be :uportioned. The
quotient will constitute tho unit for apportioning the 68 additional
representatives. For ouch unit or major portion thereof. in each county.
tho county will be allowuo bh ed Ltional representative, except that
if, Wlthlh tan limits sot Forth 5n the Amendment. any county or countiee
can not hv alloWd a rivre;ern$tive for a major nurtiun or such unit,
or 1! Qty reprevaHLIIVL: annulo vmnuin to be npportlonrd, then a
representative on 1 ha alien % to v ch of the counties having the greatest
portion of such unit until all of aid number or representatives shall

be apportioned.

The reason for using 8,000 as the heels for the first representative
allowed to each county havinp e pOpul'tiou in excess of 8,000 was that
the avarene pepulntion of tho 54 emnllort counties of the State, (being
a majority or counties of the State,) in now anproximntely 8.000. Ubder
the 1950 census the additional representatives will be apportioned on
the basic of one for each unit of approxlmotely 33,000 or a mejor portion
of each unit. except that a few couu ice will re: a representettiVe for
loos than a major portion of ouch unit, due to the {not that some
representatives will remain to be apportioned after allnwing one for
each such unit or major portion thereof. Each of the counties having
the greatest portion of ouch unit will be allowed e representative until
all of the representubiVes havo been apportioned.

This formula allure: that the majority of the representatives will
be elected on the basis of population and it follows the principle of
the Federal Constitution whereby each state is allowed two Senators
and whereby the House of nepresanbntlver £5 apportiOned on a population if
basis except that each state to allowed at leabh 066 representativeo

If adopted by the people the Constitutional Amendment will give
control of the Hence 0! eproaentetive: to the 13 largest counties of the
state and the Senate will rowain in the con'rol of the smaller counties.

The Senate is now in the can rol or tnu Smaller counties and there in no
prospect that tho senate will ever be controlled on the population basis.
There it no possibility, in the forseeable future, that the donate will be
controlled on a population bneie under the present constitutional provisions
and there is no proapcct that the present nonstitution can be amended or
revised so as to enable the benbte to be controlled by a majority of the

people or the tnte of "lorida.

The Amendment in question, if adopted by the people,would assure
the larver counties of control of the House of Representatives and the
power to veto any action of th: Senate and at the some time would assure
the smaller countiee of rethinino control of the Senate and the power
to Vote any action of the House of RepresentatiVoa.




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r.;r -n Er:JintoT' l' "-c.r-h r'ililut.y tlle le-:-.I.. Of rif I t. -'-louse r. e c.I' ombe PS (ive [41 ~09 C finr| this the. w-. j or'i ty er-r.hi iF s.rs rm|'l.TlrV:' -j i be or 9, ago en-ch, .'.e pooulation vtlerir-/i. The ed-ilt r1Tlal in ern:h 31.unty e.xcept ':.hnt ty or coure: 5 60 ?.UCh lain 1-befi 3. vi nr.t'r.c 1.Teaterb -3:--toes chall represntative 000 was thnt E!s 1-.", (beiria -4,000. ik.der rJT .arirled C'Ti n ,m nr. portion --T1 -litt -Va EOF -!-!l901-:"' nr ze for Itir-e havinrantritin nyttil rtat it-ce wi11 eine/ple of 1;r> Myl:lt n, 3 is rGPU).'s !.101'[ y-g.g'.iarttde--nt will give col.mein of the :.1.11--7 :t'1116t:185 e ..r.J -ohr.re 13 no p-.:3.:.71On 0112153 e -erab.e V:ll]. be -us'.anal provision. b a-r.enrlfid or' ajority of the ould ris--ura .1VG3 DTLd 01-10