§ 5.   Legislative reapportionment. The Legislature shall apportion its membership by dividing the state into as many single-member, legislative districts as there are state senators. House districts shall be established wholly within senatorial districts and shall be either single-member or dual-member districts as the Legislature shall determine. Legislative districts shall consist of compact, contiguous territory and shall have population as nearly equal as is practicable, based on the last preceding federal census. An apportionment shall be made by the Legislature in 1983 and in 1991, and every ten years after 1991. Such apportionment shall be accomplished by December first of the year in which the apportionment is required. If any Legislature whose duty it is to make an apportionment shall fail to make the same as herein provided, it shall be the duty of the Supreme Court within ninety days to make such apportionment.

History: Amendment proposed by SL 1935, ch 136, approved Nov., 1936; amendment proposed by SL 1937, ch 154, rejected Nov., 1938; amendment proposed by SL 1947, ch 250, approved Nov., 1948; amendment proposed by SL 1949, ch 237, rejected Nov., 1950; amendment proposed by SL 1959, ch 315, rejected Nov. 8, 1960; amendment proposed by SL 1974, ch 1, rejected Nov. 5, 1974; amendment proposed by SL 1975, ch 2, as amended by SL 1976, ch 1, rejected Nov. 2, 1976; amendment proposed by SL 1982, ch 1, approved Nov. 2, 1982; amendment proposed by SL 2002, ch 1, § 2; rejected Nov. 5, 2002.