It's Politics: Rep. Chu leading the charge against redistricting commission

Rebecca Kimitch
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
August 20, 2010

Editor's note: It's Politics reports Saturdays on the ins and outs of national, state and local politics.

State and federal lawmakers as a whole aren't big fans of the new citizens redistricting commission that will redraw the state's legislative boundaries following this year's census. After all, the commission takes redistricting power away from them.

But Rep. Judy Chu is taking that opposition to new heights, leading the PAC in opposition, literally.

Chu, D-El Monte, has so far contributed more than $500,000 to two PACs dedicated to abolishing the commission through a November ballot initiative - more than any other lawmaker. One of the PACs even bears her name.

Proposition 27 would eliminate the commission and return the power of drawing legislative lines to lawmakers. Supporters of the proposition say the redistricting commission, created only two years ago through Proposition 11, is a waste of taxpayer dollars. And they say it is unaccountable to the public, since the commissioners are not elected.

"Commissions take power away from the people and their elected representatives, and gives it to faceless, non-accountable bureaucrats," Chu said.

But the No on Prop 27 campaign charges Chu and other lawmakers - Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, and Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Lakewood, are also on the list of contributors - only want to ensure they keep their seats. They say that giving state lawmakers the duty of drawing their own legislative districts allows them to create gerrymandered nightmares that heavily favor one party, all but guaranteeing candidates don't face real races in November.

While the commission is currently only charged with redrawing state legislative districts, Prop. 27 shares the November ballot with a competing proposition, Prop. 20, that would expand the commission's duties to redrawing congressional districts.

And while lawmakers from both parties tend to support abolishing the commission, Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced this week his support of its expansion through Prop. 20.

"Every day, men and women in the law enforcement community are called upon to listen to and address the needs of our community members and our elected officials should do the same," Baca said.

All this debate is over something that doesn't even exist yet - members of the commission are still being determined and they are still months away from even beginning their work.