There shall be one hundred (100) members of the house of representatives, provided, however, that commencing in 2003 there shall be seventy-five (75) members of the house of representatives. The house of representatives shall be constituted on the basis of population and the representative districts shall be as nearly equal in population and as compact in territory as possible. The general assembly shall, after any new census taken by authority of the United States, reapportion the representation to conform to the Constitution of the state and the Constitution of the United States.