African American community roundtable hosts— how to become a member of the 2020 citizens redistricting commission
On Friday, March 29th the African American Community Roundtable hosted a forum for local community leaders to educate the community about the process to become a member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. Every 10 years, California must redraw the district lines for the Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly and State Board of Equalization to…
Gerrymandering? California doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean voting maps are easy
Huge, electoral change is coming to California politics in three years, and it’ll happen no matter how citizens vote. The change in question is legislative redistricting, the redrawing of electoral boundaries that will reshape voting districts — literally and figuratively — based on what the 2020 Census says about changes in California’s population. For some…
Lawmakers aren’t the only ones who can draw districts, California shows
SPRINGFIELD — A coalition of interest groups want citizens, rather than lawmakers, to decide the boundaries of their own political districts. CHANGE Illinois — the Coalition for Honest and New Government Ethics — is pushing for an “independent, transparent” process that would draw Illinois’ political maps in a way that ensures “communities are fully and…
My short list of April Fools
“The world is literally going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.” — Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez (AOC to her fans) “Trump is guilty of text-book treason.” — UC Berkeley Political Science Professor M. Steven Fish “But I do look forward to game days, partying…I don’t really care about school as you guys…
Editorial: The ‘cancer on our democracy’ the Supreme Court is struggling to ignore
Gerrymandering has become a glaring enough problem — “a cancer on our democracy,” as one judge recently put it — to be recognized by Republicans and Democrats, state and federal courts, and voters in an array of states led by California. A striking exception to this growing sense of urgency is the U.S. Supreme Court. Considering…
Supreme Court to Consider the Politics of Redistricting
MARYLAND’S 6TH Congressional District hangs by a narrow geographical thread, connecting rural, GOP-friendly areas to the west with a splotch of Democratic-dominated Montgomery County to the southeast, making the district one which a Democrat could – and did – wrest from a 20-year GOP incumbent after Democrats redrew its lines in 2011. That was also the year Ohio Republican…
Unique Aspects of California’s Electoral System
In California stated government, there are nine constitutional offices elected statewide, as well as 120 legislative seats. Constitutional officers are limited to serving two four-year terms in each office. Having to run statewide is a major cost driver in fundraising for these offices. While there are higher campaign contribution limits for these offices, there is…
Redistricting Commission needs serious change to accurately reflect all California citizens
Nearly one-third of California voters will be underrepresented when the new California Citizens Redistricting Commission is selected at the end of next year – and it won’t just be political independents who will be underrepresented. It will also be voters younger than 35, Latinos, Asians, blacks and, to a lesser degree, men. This problem can be fixed,…
California’s independent redistricting rules could offer some hope for Republicans
California government auditors will begin accepting applications in June from citizens who would like to help redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps, a task with enormous political consequences. The once-a-decade redistricting process will also offer a rare chance for the dwindling ranks of Republicans to get equal billing with Democrats. When complete, the maps…
California takes politics out of a very political job. It’s looking for help
State Auditor Elaine Howle is on the recruiting trail, looking for California voters interested in a job that’s almost guaranteed to make them no friends at all. Once again, Howle is responsible for picking the 14 people who will form the state Citizens Redistricting Commission, the group that will redraw California’s political maps after the 2020 census. View…
The Democrats’ voting rights bill could end partisan gerrymandering. Republicans won’t let that happen.
On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a voting rights bill aimed at ending corruption in politics. H.R. 1, also known as the “For the People Act of 2019,” would do a lot of things: get dark money out of politics, establish an automatic voter registration system, strengthen ethics codes, require the president to disclose…
California State Auditor Launches 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Selection Process
As California prepares to redraw district lines for future elections, the State is looking for citizens to apply to join the independent redistricting commission that voters approved creating more than 10 years ago, shifting that power away from legislators. On March 1, California State Auditor Elaine Howle hosted a 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Town Hall…