SACRAMENTO –Assembly Democrats announced today the principles in their redistricting proposal that will develop an independent commission which will reshape the way the state draws its legislative districts.

“It should be obvious to everyone how self serving it is for legislators to draw their own political boundaries,” Assemblywoman Nicole Parra said. “These principles would eliminate this practice and bring a level of unprecedented independence to our state’s approach to redistricting.”

Assemblymember Curren D. Price Jr. (D-Inglewood), Chair of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee has submitted language to counsel which outlines the following points:

• Creating a bipartisan commission of 11 members, including commissioners who are Democrats, Republicans and not registered with either of those parties.
• Commission will represent a broad cross-section of Californians committed to adopting fair redistricting plans.
• Representative of California's diversity, including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic and gender diversity.
• Commissioners registered with the same political party for 3 years before their appointments.
• Commissioners may not have held or run for office for the three preceding years or have been employed as lobbyists or by a campaign committee, political party or the Legislature during that time.
• Commissioners may not have a financial or immediate family relationship with the Governor, any member of the Legislature, Congress or the Board of Equalization.
• Commissioners would have to pledge not to run for office for three years after their terms on the commission end.
• Redistricting limited to once a decade unless a court orders otherwise.
• Required to comply with the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act and the California Public Records Act.
• The commission will be provided with sufficient resources, including staff and legal counsel, to be hired by the commission itself to ensure its independence.
• Fair, legal plans required to include: Compliance with the U.S. Constitution and the federal Voting Rights Act, including per-district populations that meet constitutional equality standards.
• Districts will also be geographically contiguous, respect communities of interest, city, county and geographic boundaries to the extent practicable and be compact to the extent practicable. Incumbents' and candidates' residence locations may not be considered except as needed to comply with these standards.
• Public hearing will be required at all stages of the process – before maps are drawn, once tentative maps are drawn by the commission, and again on the proposed final commission maps.

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