New Jersey Apportionment Commission
Encyclopedia
The New Jersey
Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning
the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature
. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections in the following ten years. The commission's members are appointed by the two most successful political parties in the previous gubernatorial election. Each party appoints five members. If the commission cannot agree to an apportionment plan in a timely manner, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey is to appoint an eleventh member as a tie-breaking vote.
The Apportionment Commission is not to be confused with the New Jersey Redistricting Commission
which defines districts for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The ten-member commission has a deadline of either February 1st in the year following the Census or one month from the release of the census data for New Jersey, whichever is later, to produce the new district apportionment. If the ten-member commission is unable to produce a new apportionment by that deadline, the Chief Justice is to appoint an eleventh member. After the appointment of the 11th member, the eleven-member commission has one month to produce the new district apportionment.
(serving as Co-Chair), former Assembly candidate Irene Kim Asbury (serving as Vice Co-Chair), State Senator Kevin J. O'Toole
, Ocean County Republican Chair George Gilmore and Republican national committeeman Bill Palatucci. The five Democratic members are Assemblyman and State Democratic Chairman John Wisniewski (serving as Co-Chair), former Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez
(serving as Vice Co-Chair), Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan
, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and State Senator Paul Sarlo
.
On February 3, 2011 the Census data for New Jersey were released. Accordingly, the ten-member commission had until March 5, 2011 to produce the district apportionment.
The commission at the deadline was at an impasse. Alan Rosenthal, a professor of public policy at Rutgers University
, was named the 11th member of the committee, a position that led to him playing the role of tie-breaker. Rosenthal, who describes himself as a moderate Democrat, has worked at the Eagleton Institute of Politics
and has never held an elected office. He sat on two commissions for the redistricting of New Jersey's congressional districts for the House of Representatives in 1992 and 2001.
On April 3, 2011, the day of the deadline, the commission voted 6 to 5 in favor of the Democrats' map (the five Democrats and Rosenthal voted for it, the five Republicans voted against). The result is the New Jersey Legislative Districts, 2011 apportionment
.
A court case challenging the new districts map was dismissed in August 2011 by the New Jersey Supreme Court
that found that population discrepensies between northern and southern counties in the state were "nowhere near that needed to support a cognizable legal claim for voter dilution" and the court made it "clear that splitting counties is no longer a basis to invalidate a map."
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Apportionment Commission is a constitutionally-created ten-member commission responsible for apportioning
Apportionment (politics)
Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles . In most representative governments, political power has most recently been apportioned among constituencies based on population, but there is a long history of different approaches.The United States Constitution,...
the forty districts of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
. The commission is convened after each decennial U.S. Census, and the districts are to be in use for the legislative elections in the following ten years. The commission's members are appointed by the two most successful political parties in the previous gubernatorial election. Each party appoints five members. If the commission cannot agree to an apportionment plan in a timely manner, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey is to appoint an eleventh member as a tie-breaking vote.
The Apportionment Commission is not to be confused with the New Jersey Redistricting Commission
New Jersey Redistricting Commission
The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; the redistricting is completed within an independent, bipartisan commission...
which defines districts for the U.S. House of Representatives.
The ten-member commission has a deadline of either February 1st in the year following the Census or one month from the release of the census data for New Jersey, whichever is later, to produce the new district apportionment. If the ten-member commission is unable to produce a new apportionment by that deadline, the Chief Justice is to appoint an eleventh member. After the appointment of the 11th member, the eleven-member commission has one month to produce the new district apportionment.
2011 Commission
The 2011 Commission consists of five Democrats and five Republicans. The five Republican members are Assemblyman and former State Republican Chairman Jay WebberJay Webber
Jay Webber is an American Republican Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since January 8, 2008, where he represents the 26th legislative district...
(serving as Co-Chair), former Assembly candidate Irene Kim Asbury (serving as Vice Co-Chair), State Senator Kevin J. O'Toole
Kevin J. O'Toole
Kevin J. O'Toole is an American Republican Party politician, who serves in the New Jersey Senate. O'Toole represents the 40th legislative district, which consists of parts of Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties....
, Ocean County Republican Chair George Gilmore and Republican national committeeman Bill Palatucci. The five Democratic members are Assemblyman and State Democratic Chairman John Wisniewski (serving as Co-Chair), former Assemblywoman Nilsa Cruz-Perez
Nilsa Cruz-Perez
Nilsa Cruz-Perez is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1995 to 2010, where she represented the 5th legislative district...
(serving as Vice Co-Chair), Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Cryan
Joseph Cryan
Joseph Cryan is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 20th Legislative District...
, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and State Senator Paul Sarlo
Paul Sarlo
Paul A. Sarlo is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey State Senate since 2003, where he represents the 36th Legislative District...
.
On February 3, 2011 the Census data for New Jersey were released. Accordingly, the ten-member commission had until March 5, 2011 to produce the district apportionment.
The commission at the deadline was at an impasse. Alan Rosenthal, a professor of public policy at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, was named the 11th member of the committee, a position that led to him playing the role of tie-breaker. Rosenthal, who describes himself as a moderate Democrat, has worked at the Eagleton Institute of Politics
Eagleton Institute of Politics
The Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University was established in 1956 with an endowment from Florence Peshine Eagleton , and it focuses on state and national politics through education, and public service.-Background:...
and has never held an elected office. He sat on two commissions for the redistricting of New Jersey's congressional districts for the House of Representatives in 1992 and 2001.
On April 3, 2011, the day of the deadline, the commission voted 6 to 5 in favor of the Democrats' map (the five Democrats and Rosenthal voted for it, the five Republicans voted against). The result is the New Jersey Legislative Districts, 2011 apportionment
New Jersey Legislative Districts, 2011 apportionment
The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one Senator and two Assemblymen.New Jersey is one of only seven states with nested state legislative districts, in which two or more state House are coextensive with a single state Senate seat. In...
.
A court case challenging the new districts map was dismissed in August 2011 by the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
that found that population discrepensies between northern and southern counties in the state were "nowhere near that needed to support a cognizable legal claim for voter dilution" and the court made it "clear that splitting counties is no longer a basis to invalidate a map."