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Legislative Redistricting Plan at 10) (arguing for superiority of Zachman plan based on a
<br /> combination of "substantial population equality * * * and a low number of city and county
<br /> splits"); (Moe Br. on Legislative Redistricting Plan at 12) (noting the Moe plan's focus on the
<br /> preservation of political subdivisions, in part to ensure their fair representation); see also
<br /> Hearings Before Minn. spec.Redistricting Panel 9, 18, 20, 32 (Marshall, Minn..Feb. 4E, 2002); 8,
<br /> 25, 38 (St. Cloud, Minn. Feb. 4, 2002); 58-59, 60 (Detroit Lakes, Minn. Feb. 5, 2002); 19, 36
<br /> (Duluth, Minn. Feb. 5, 2002); 18 (Rochester, Minn. Feb. 6, 2002); 11, 12 (St. Paul, Minn. Feb. 6,
<br /> 2002). We agree with this sound logic and therefore implement a plan in which senate district
<br /> boundaries divide only 3 1 counties and 25 minor civil divisions, and house district boundaries
<br /> divide only 50 counties and 46 minor civil divisions.
<br /> The total number of divided counties, cities, and townships does not, however, tell the
<br /> whole story. First, the plan also minimizes the number of times a political subdivision was split
<br /> 2 A number of senate and house districts are composed entirely of intact counties, cities,
<br /> and townships. For example, Todd, Douglas, Grant, and Stevens Counties comprise one entire
<br /> senate district. Senate District 20 consists of Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln,
<br /> Renville, Swift, and Yellow Medicine Counties without splitting any of them. While Lincoln
<br /> and Lyon Counties or Redwood, Renville, and Yellow Medicine Counties may have preferred to
<br /> remain in the same district due to their common interests, see Marshall Hearing, supra, at 19, it
<br /> was not possible to accomplish this without creating additional political subdivision splits.
<br /> Among the house districts, Districts 48B and 35A are each composed solely of two intact
<br /> suburban cities. Meeker, McLeod, and Wright Counties together have the proper population for
<br /> two entire senate districts. Because the cities and townships in Wright County tend to have a
<br /> large number of noncontiguous areas, these house and senate districts tend to be irregularly
<br /> shaped in order to minimize the number of political subdivision splits. The same is true of
<br /> House Districts 53A and 53B in the White Bear Lake/White Bear Township areas.
<br /> Additionally, we have implemented some districts from the parties' plans that best
<br /> preserve political subdivisions. Senate District 55 was adopted from the Zachman plan because
<br /> it encompasses three complete cities without dividing any of them. Similarly, we drew Senate
<br /> District 22 at the suggestion of the Ventura and Moe plaintiffs because. it consists of
<br /> Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock Counties without splitting any of
<br /> them. Adding a small city or township from another county may have decreased Senate District
<br /> 22's already low population deviation, but creating an additional political subdivision split for
<br /> such a small change in population was not a favorable trade.
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