2011 Timeline

This timeline provides an overview of the 2011 redistricting cycle, beginning with the establishment of the Reapportionment Committee and ending with the adoption of the final Congressional Redistricting Plan.

• January 13-14, 2011: Legislative leaders designated members to serve on the Reapportionment Committee

• February 15, 2011: Constitutional deadline for the General Assembly to appoint Reapportionment Committee (Conn. Const. Art. III, § 6)

• March 9, 2011: U.S. Census Bureau delivered Connecticut 2010 Census redistricting data required under P.L. 94-171

• April 8, 2011: First Reapportionment Committee meeting (elected co-chairs) 

• May 16, 2011: Second Reapportionment Committee meeting (set public hearing schedule)

• July 5-20, 2011: Committee held public hearings in state’s five Congressional districts

• August 17, 2011:Third Reapportionment Committee meeting

• September 13, 2011: Final Reapportionment Committee meeting (announced that the committee would not make the September 15th constitutional deadline)

• September 15, 2011: Constitutional deadline for the General Assembly to adopt a plan of districting (Conn. Const. Art. III, § 6)

• October 5, 2011: Governor appointed Reapportionment Commission members based on legislative leaders’ designations

• November 3, 2011: First Reapportionment Commission meeting (elected co-chairs and appointed ninth member)
  

• November 30, 2011: Final reapportionment Commission meeting (unanimously adopted state Senate and House redistricting plans and announced that the commission had not reached agreement on the Congressional Redistricting Plan and would seek an extension from the state Supreme Court)

• November 30, 2011: Constitutional deadline for the Reapportionment Commission to submit a plan of districting to the secretary of the state (Conn. Const. Art. III, § 6)

• December 1, 2011: Secretary of the state notified the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court that the Reapportionment Commission did not submit a Congressional Redistricting Plan by the November 30th constitutional deadline

• December 1, 2011: Governor filled commission vacancy

• December 2, 2011: Attorney general filed a petition asking the court to remand the matter (i.e., Congressional plan) to the commission until December 21, 2011

• December 6, 2011: Supreme Court issued an order granting the attorney general’s request and remanding the commission matter until 12:00 p.m. on December 21, 2011

• December 21, 2011 (12:00 p.m.): Jurisdiction over the Congressional Redistricting Plan reverted to the state Supreme Court because the Reapportionment Commission did not meet the deadline

• December 27, 2011: Supreme Court issued an order setting forth the procedures under which it would operate in establishing the Congressional Redistricting Plan, including the appointment of a special master

• December 30, 2011: Supreme Court (1) received briefs from the parties concerning procedures and heard oral arguments on them and (2) issued an order appointing the special master (Professor Nathaniel Persily)

• January 3, 2012: Supreme Court issued an order directing the special master to, among other things, hold a public hearing and submit his redistricting plan to the court by January 27, 2012

• January 9, 2012: Special master held a public hearing during which the parties and interested members of the public presented recommendations

• January 13, 2012: Special master issued an order submitting the Draft Report and Plan for Congressional Districts for the state of Connecticut and inviting public comment by 12:00 p.m. on January 18, 2012

• January 19, 2012: Special master notified the state Supreme Court that the draft report and plan should be considered final because, after reviewing and considering all submitted comments, he determined that no revisions were necessary

• February 6, 2012: Supreme Court held oral argument on the plan

• February 10, 2012: Supreme Court issued an order adopting as the established plan of Congressional districting the plan depicted and described in Exhibits 1 and 4 of the special master’s Draft Report and Plan for Congressional Districts

• February 15, 2012: Constitutional deadline for the state Supreme Court to file its plan of districting with the secretary of the state (Conn. Const. Art. III, § 6)