Kathleen Ann
Precinct Committee Woman – SC11
Chairman South Dakota Legislative District 30
So, What is Legislative District 30?
Several decades ago our South Dakota legislators were elected “at large” by county. Each county elected a number of legislators in ratio to a population index. Then the system was changed; districts are now drawn forming legislative district consisting of near equal populations; each consisting of two representatives and one senator per district.
This makes for districts of wildly varying sizes and strange shapes depending on population densities and the political flavor of the legislature whose job it is to redraw these legislative districts decennially; the year after each decennial census called for in the US constitution!
Rapid City, Pennington County, the second largest city in South Dakota, with a greater-metropolitan area – counting Ellsworth Air Force Base population of about 7,000 – is so densely populated that it contains several legislative districts in relatively small areas within its boundaries. This leaves the sparsely populated areas of Pennington combined with Custer and Fall River Counties to total enough population to make up a district.
District 30 consists of approximately 5800 square miles!
It is about 150 miles across, kitty cornered, from north of Creighton in Pennington County to the southwest corner of Fall River County.
The political issues and ways of life are as diverse as the scenery.
The theory (which I question) was that these legislators would be more representative of and responsive to the citizens in their district. However, this system is confusing to many citizens. Folk know what county, city, school district they are part of, but few know or understand the legislative district system.
And to add to the confusion, in order to maintain the voter-to-legislator ratio, legislative districts are subject to boundary changes once every 10 years after each decennial census; this redistricting will be happening again in 2011.
Additionally, this system is subject to political abuse if the dominant political party succeeds in drawing the boundary lines to their own political advantage.