Court to issue redistricting decision today

Ventura County Star (CA) - Friday, January 27, 2012
Author: staff reports

The California Supreme Court plans to issue a decision today in a case that seeks to suspend implementation of the new Senate districts adopted by the Citizens Redistricting Commission last year. 

The court announced Thursday it will file its opinion at 10 a.m. today. 

It has been asked to delay the use of the maps until voters have a chance to decide the outcome of a Republican Party-sponsored referendum that seeks to overturn them. If the court grants the GOP's request, it will have to decide what set of maps will be used for this year's state Senate elections. 

The referendum has no effect on the Assembly and congressional districts created by the commission. 

A random sample count of the signatures submitted by referendum backers showed that the number of valid signatures will be close to the 504,760 needed to qualify it for the November ballot. A full hand count of all 711,311 signatures is under way but is not expected to be completed until late next month. 

The period for candidates to file to run for office has already opened and will close in early March. 

The court's decision will determine the fate of two Senate districts the commission created in Ventura County - the 19th, which covers all of western Ventura County and Santa Barbara County, and the 27th, which covers eastern Ventura County, much of the western San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita and Malibu. 

Because both those districts have odd numbers, elections for the four-year Senate terms coincide with presidential elections. 

Democrats Hannah-Beth Jackson of Santa Barbara and Jason Hodge of Oxnard are the only two announced candidates in the 19th District. Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, is the only announced candidate so far in the 27th District.