§ 1904 - Legislative apportionment board
§ 1904. Legislative apportionment board
(a) There is hereby created the legislative apportionment board, consisting of: a special master designated by the chief justice of the supreme court; one resident of the state of Vermont for five years immediately preceding the appointment, appointed by the governor from each political party that has had more than three members serve as members of the general assembly, who are not all from the same county, for at least three of the five biennial legislative sessions since the taking of the previous decennial census of the United States; and one resident of the state of Vermont for the five years immediately preceding the appointment, elected by the state committee of each of those political parties, a quorum of each committee being present and voting. No member of the board shall serve as a member or employee of the general assembly, or of either house thereof. The special master so designated shall be chair of the board, and shall call such meetings as may be necessary for the accomplishment of the duties of the board hereafter set forth. The secretary of state of Vermont shall be secretary of the board, but shall have no vote. For the purpose of determining representation of a political party under this section, if a candidate for election to the general assembly accepted a nomination from more than one political party, that candidate's party affiliation shall be only that political party to which he or she filed a petition for nomination.
(b) Members of the board shall first be selected on or before July 1, 1990, and thereafter members shall be selected decennially before July 1 and shall serve until their successors are selected. The appointing or electing authority shall fill vacancies.
(c) For administrative purposes, the board shall be part of the office of the secretary of state, and funds for the board's operation shall be appropriated for the secretary of state, provided, however, that expenditures of such appropriation shall be directed by the board.
(d) Members of the board not receiving a salary from the state shall receive per diem compensation and expenses as provided in section 1010 of Title 32.
(e) The board may employ or contract for such expert assistants or services, or both, as may be necessary to carry out its duties. (Added 1965, No. 97, § 4; amended 1989, No. 200 (Adj. Sess.), §§ 6a, 6b; 1991, No. 116 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. Feb. 13, 1992; 2009, No. 18, § 1.)