Lining up to redraw the district lines

Sam Womwack
February 24, 2010

Nearly 700 Central Coast residents have volunteered to color in the district lines and boundaries for the state Senate, Assembly and State Board of Equalization races.

The active citizens make up the more than 31,000 applications that the state auditor has received for the first citizen's redistricting commission.

Voter's approved the 14-member panel – made up of five Democrats, five Republicans and four who are neither Democrat nor Republican – with passage of Proposition 11 in 2008.

“Rather than sit on the sidelines, I felt that I should be involved,” said Bob Engel, co-owner of Engel & Gray, Inc. in Santa Maria, who is now eligible for the second application phase of the process.

Every 10 years, following the federal census, every state is required to redraw its districts to reflect the new population data. Prior to Prop. 11, it was the legislators who were in charge of this process.

In the arguments for Prop. 11 distributed in the 2008 voter guide, having legislators draw the boundaries of their own districts was described as “a conflict of interest.”

“They divide up neighborhoods and communities to create districts where they are virtually guaranteed re-election,” the pro-Prop. 11 argument stated.

The commission will not address district lines for the U.S. House of Representatives.

“We need to make it where it's fair,” said Paula James, leader of the Central Coast chapter of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and commission applicant. “Where the people who live here have a say in their government.”

Pismo Mayor Pro Tem Shelly Higginbotham said she applied because “I think we have the opportunity now to make some necessary changes that make sense ... and I would love to be a part of that change.”

The deadline for initial applications was Feb. 16, and now eligible applicants have until April 2 to complete the second, more detailed application.

Compared to the generic questions in the initial application, the second phase asks for references and detailed information to weed out applicants with any conflicting interests.

Once the second applications are submitted, a review panel will whittle the hopeful commission members down to 120. After a series of personal interviews, the applicant pool must be narrowed down to 60 by Oct. 1.

After that, the names go to the Legislature to fight over their favorites.

Jim Harrison, president of the Nipomo Community Services District board of directors, said, “I thought I would be good, but I'm not sure about the time commitment.”

Commissioners would need to devote nearly nine months in 2011 to traveling, public hearings, extensive research and delivering a map to the Legislature.

For more information on the Citizens Redistricting Commission or to leave a public comment on an applicant, visit wedrawthelines.ca.gov.