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March 1, 2008

Southwest California Businesses Support Redistricting Reform

The Temecula Valley, Murrieta and Lake Elsinore Valley Chambers through their regional advocacy coalition, the Southwest California Legislative Council (SWCLC) supports the California Voters FIRST Act concept which seeks to reform the way state legislators are elected. SWCLC supported the Governor’s proposal, which never came to fruition. This proposal would go to the voters for their approval.

Click here to visit the California VOTERS First Web site.

Every 10 years, after the census, new boundary lines for the United States Congress and California Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization districts are drawn. Currently, the California State Legislature draws those lines. This is viewed as a major conflict of interest.

"We continue to look for ways the business communities in Southwest region can remain competitive with surrounding communities and redistricting reform is a possible answer," stated Greg Morrison, Chair of the Southwest California Legislative Council. "The California Voters FIRST Act is only one way we can make our region more business friendly," continued Morrison.

The California Voters FIRST Act aims to eliminate the conflict of interest. A 14-person citizens redistricting commission would be created. The California Voters FIRST Act would create a politically balanced Commission - five democrats, five republicans, and four others. Commissioners would be chosen for their impartiality, skills, and to reflect our State’s demographic and geographic diversity.

The Act would protect communities, cities, and counties. The California Voters FIRST Act would create a list of prioritized mapping criteria for the Commission to follow. This would ensure that our Constitution, federal and state laws are followed. The U.S. Congressional Districts would continue to be drawn by the State Legislature.

The process would also be open and public. The Commission would hold hearings to receive public input. The California Voters FIRST Act would end the closed-door political deals by legislators to draw districts that protect themselves.

The Act will be placed on the November 2008 ballot pending count of signatures by the Office of the Secretary of State.

Proposal Details

California Voters FIRST Act is pending count of signatures by the Office of the Secretary of State.

The Commission would be formed by inviting California registered voters to participate. A pool of 60 (20 Democrats, 20 Republicans, 20 others) is selected based on their skills, ability to be impartial, and diversity by a review panel of state auditors (1 Democrat, 1 Republican, 1 other).

The 4 Legislative Leaders can strike up to 24 people from the pool. Out of the remaining pool, 8 Commissioners are randomly picked - 3 Democrats, 3 Republicans, 2 others.

The final 6 Commissioners (2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, 2 others) are chosen by the 8 Commissioners from the remaining pool based on the balance of skills and diversity they would bring.

The mapping criteria for the Commission to follow include, which are ranked in order, are:
 

- Districts shall comply with the US Constitution, including equal population requirements.
 

- Districts shall comply with the Voting Rights Act.
 

- Districts shall be geographically contiguous.
 

- The geographic integrity of any city, county, or city and county, neighborhoods, or communities of interest shall be respected. Communities of interest shall not be defined as having a relationship with incumbents, candidates, or parties.
 

- To the extent possible, after the above criteria have been satisfied, districts shall be compact.
 

- To the extent possible, after the above criteria have been satisfied, districts shall be nested.

Incumbent residences may not be considered; districts may not be drawn to favor politicians or parties.
The scope of the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission includes the district drawing of the California Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization seats in the next redistricting cycle in 2011 and after each decennial census.

The State Legislature will draw Congressional seats, following the same mapping criteria and hearing requirements as the Commission.

According to California Common Cause (also supporter of the Act):
 

- 66% support creating an independent redistricting commission to draw district lines instead of incumbent legislators.
 

- 86% want an open process and an end to back room deals in redistricting.
 

- 78 - 81% want a redistricting process that keeps their neighborhoods and cities together and divided as little as possible
 

Click here to visit the California VOTERS First Web site.

March 2, 2007

Regional Business Community Supports Redistricting Efforts

The Southwest California Legislative Council (SWCLC) supports efforts to make California elections more competitive by reforming the highly politicized process of drawing legislative and congressional districts.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger introduced a reform plan earlier this year:

1. Create a Citizens Redistricting Commission composed of 11 independent members -- four from each of the state's two major political parties, with the three others being decline-to-state voters or voters with other political affiliations.

2. Any redistricting plan must have at least one vote from each of the two major political parties and one from an independent or minor party.

3. The commission would be selected by random drawing by the Fair Political Practices Commission from a pool of 55 candidates, nominated by a panel of 10 current or retired county registrars of voters or city election clerks.

4. Anyone who has served as an elected official within the past five years, lobbyists or those with family ties to elected officials are not eligible to serve on the panel.

5. If the constitutional amendment to create the redistricting commission is approved by a two-thirds majority of the Legislature, it would go before voters.

The SWCLC will work with the Governor’s office and the state legislature to ensure that the Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, and Temecula business communities are engaged in policy discussions in the coming months regarding redistricting reform proposals.

“By working together we can ensure pro-business candidates will have a chance to seek office if they so desire,” explained Dennis Frank, Chair of the SWCLC. “Competition is always a good thing, especially when businesses can prosper,” Frank continued.