SUBMITTED RELEASE FROM THE REPUBLICAN SENATE CAUCUS
Republicans in the Nevada Legislature announced today that they are introducing redistricting plans for the Nevada Assembly, the Nevada Senate and the state’s Congressional delegation that will ensure fair representation for the people of Nevada. Republicans have crafted a plan that respects the current numerical strength of various regional, ethnic, partisan and individual community groups without infringing on the rights of other Nevadans to effectively participate in the electoral process.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the ideal population for each of Nevada’s Congressional districts is 675,138; for State Senate Districts, 128,598 and for State Assembly districts, 64,299, and the Republican plans show minimal disparity from these ideal populations.
In the Congressional plan, district populations have an absolute deviation of zero people, except in one necessary instance due to Nevada’s total population being an odd, and not even, figure. In the State Senate plan, district populations deviate from the ideal population by less than one tenth of one percent (0.1 percent). In the State Assembly plan, district populations deviate from the ideal population by less than one half of one percent (0.5 percent).
The Republican plans will also fully and properly comply with the requirements of the Voting Rights Act. As such, the Republican plans:
• Prevent “fracturing” of the Hispanic community by creating the following majority-minority districts:
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o One majority-Hispanic Congressional district
o Four majority-Hispanic state Senate districts
o Eight majority-Hispanic Assembly seats
• Prevent “packing” of the Hispanic community by keeping the total Hispanic population under 60 percent in all of the majority-minority districts.
According to the 2010 Census, Hispanics represent more than 26 percent of Nevada’s population. The Republican Congressional plan ensures that members of the Hispanic community will have opportunities to elect candidates of their choice to Nevada’s Congressional delegation. Additionally, the legislative plans create the opportunities for the Hispanic community to increase its representation in the Nevada Legislature.
