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California’s Citizen’s Redistricting Committee will soon begin the complex task of redrawing boundaries for the State Board of Equalization, State Legislative and Congressional districts. Redistricting follows any Census year, when population shifts are recorded and voting areas are redrawn to reflect changes. Traditionally redistricting is done by elected officials, who are notorious for gerrymandering, the practice of intentionally creating districts to benefit one political party or group and dis-empower the political opposition. The practice is blamed for creating a stagnant political environment in which incumbents are unresponsive to their constituents because they are certain their party will retain power year after year. In 2008 Proposition 11 was passed by California voters, establishing that district lines for state legislative districts would be drawn by a 14 member Citizen’s Committee. In November, voters gave the Committee even more power by approving proposition 20, requiring the Committee to also redraw district boundaries for Congressional seats. Hundreds of California residents applied to be on the Committee. Over the past two years the candidates were slowly vetted and whittled down until 14 members were appointed. The group does not have much time to complete its task. It has a deadline of August 15th of this year. Part of the new redistricting process is for the Committee to take input from the public on how to draw the lines so “communities of interest” are kept together. A diverse array of community advocacy groups have been following the process from the committee’s inception and they are beginning an outreach campaign to educate the public on its role.

GUEST: Chris Carson, Redistricting Program Director at the League of Women Voters California

Find out more at www.redistrictingca.org and www.lwvc.org.