[EL] Shrinking legislatures

[David Segal]

Columbus just went from 7 to 9.  They have a strange system - I believe it
has been all at large, 7 seats, vote for 7.  (Biggest city in the country
with all at large.)

Now it'll be as such, which is confusing:

https://www.wcbe.org/post/columbus-voters-approve-measure-expanding-size-city-council

Columbus voters on Tuesday approved a measure expanding the number of
members on City Council. The charter amendment backed by the city adds two
seats to council and divides the city into wards, even though members will
still be elected at-large.

On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 3:17 PM Rob Richie <rr at fairvote.org> wrote:

> I'll add that the logical change would be in the other direction. That is,
> the US population keeps growing, and legislative chambers could grow to
> keep a certain balance. The number of seats in the US House changed every
> decade up until 1910, when it illogically stopped; the average number of
> constituents has tripled in the intervening years, and Montana has one
> House ember for ore than a million people. California state senate
> districts are now larger than congressional districts, and Los Angeles
> County Supervisor district bigger still.
>
> So my question is what might be some examples in he last 50 years where a
> state legislature has increased its number of representatives? I know New
> York City Council did so about three decades ago, but it seems quite rare.
>
>
>
> On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 3:12 PM Reed Witherby <rwitherby at smithduggan.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Massachusetts reduced the size of its House of Representatives from 240
>> to 160 in 1979.
>>
>>
>>
>> Reed Witherby
>>
>> Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo LLP
>>
>> 617.216.6930
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *From: *Law-election <law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu> on
>> behalf of David Segal <davidadamsegal at gmail.com>
>> *Date: *Thursday, May 16, 2019 at 2:57 PM
>> *To: *David O'Brien <dobrien at fairvote.org>
>> *Cc: *"law-election at uci.edu" <law-election at uci.edu>
>> *Subject: *Re: [EL] Shrinking legislatures
>>
>>
>>
>> We went from 100 -> 75 in the RI House and 50 -> 38 in the Senate in
>> 2002. Constitutional amendment, put on the ballot by the legislature.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 2:55 PM David O'Brien <dobrien at fairvote.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Nebraska shrunk the size of its legislature when it voted to switch to a
>> unicameral system in 1934. Prior to that referendum, it had a Senate with
>> 33 members and a House of Representatives with 100 members. Today it only
>> has a 49-member Senate.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 2:42 PM Edelman, Paul <
>> paul.edelman at law.vanderbilt.edu> wrote:
>>
>> I am in search of examples of legislative bodies that have shrunk, either
>> of their own volition or by order of some superior entity.   They seem to
>> be as uncommon as shrinking university administrations.  Does anyone have
>> any examples?  Thanks in advance.
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul
>>
>>
>>
>> Paul H. Edelman
>>
>> Professor of Mathematics and Law
>>
>> Vanderbilt University
>>
>> paul.edelman at vanderbilt.edu
>>
>> 615-322-0990
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>>
>>
>> David O'Brien
>>
>> Staff Attorney, FairVote
>>
>> 6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 240
>>
>> Takoma Park, MD 20912
>>
>> O: (301) 270-4616
>>
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>>
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>
>
> --
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Rob Richie
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