The day after news broke that Common Cause likely will be supporting the governor’s plan, Demos and the Center for Governmental Studies issued this report critical of the proposal. Here is an excerpt from the press release:
- A new report, Drawing Lines: A Public Interest Guide to Real Redistricting Reform, released today by Demos and the Center for Governmental Studies, shows that current legislation and proposed initiatives on redistricting all fail to sufficiently address the needs of the public, and suggests clear guidelines for much fairer redistricting. The report responds to the California State Legislature and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who are considering sweeping changes to the way California draws electoral district boundaries with its consideration of several new proposals that would give redistricting authority to an “Independent Redistricting Commission,” and take it away from partisan legislative control.
Drawing Lines recommends criteria for selection of Independent Redistricting Commission members, key components to be included in any redistricting plan, and analyzes the major features of each current proposal against the recommendations. The report finds that each one falls short of assuring fair representation of California’s population.
“In California’s 2004 legislative and congressional elections, none of the 153 seats changed party hands, even in districts where no incumbent was running,” noted Bob Stern, CGS President. “This lack of competition is due significantly to the legislature’s decision to redraw electoral districts to protect party boundaries.”
Drawing Lines shows that, while redistricting should be conducted by an Independent Commission, none of the various proposals under current consideration does enough to encourage the creation of more competitive districts or better representation of communities of color, the areas where California is most in need of improvement.
“A number of states are considering Independent Redistricting Commissions. This is an opportunity for California to draft model legislation that other states can use to end decades of limited minority representation and partisan cronyism,” said Steven Carb