On Sept. 18, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1307 which creates a County of Riverside Citizens Redistricting Commission, similar to the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission. The state group redrew the boundaries for the Board of Equalization, Congress, state Senate and Assembly, following the 2020 Census.
Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (AD 60), a Democrat representing Corona, Eastvale and a portion of Riverside, introduced Assembly Bill 1307 in February 2021. But it was not until this January, after the county supervisors approved a redistricting plan, that the Assembly held hearings on the bill.
It passed both state houses in August with nearly a 75% majority.
After Newsom signed the bill, Cervantes said in a press release, “This failure of a majority of the Board of Supervisors to protect the voting rights of our Latino community illustrates why we needed to create an independent citizens redistricting commission to draw fair maps for Riverside County.”
Cervantes’ bill was patterned after laws in 2012 and 2016, respectively, created independent citizen redistricting commissions for San Diego and Los Angeles counties. Proposition 11 in 2008 created the State Citizens Redistricting Commission.
Her bill creates a 14-member commission to redistrict supervisorial districts following the 2030 Census and each future Census. Commission members must be county residents and registered either as no party preference or with a party affiliation for the previous five years.
The commission’s composition should be close to the party affiliation or no preference percentages in the county.
During the prior 10 years, commission applicants may not have served or run for any political office at the federal, state or local level. Further, official office staff or campaign staff are also prohibited from seeking a commission seat.
Qualified applicants will be selected as commission members based on a lottery that the county auditor controller must conduct. Each supervisor’s district must have at least one resident on the commission.
Districts must comply with the U.S. Constitution and have “reasonably equal populations” except where deviations are needed to comply with the Federal Voting Rights Act.
The commission must comply with California’s open meeting law (Ralph M. Brown Act) and hold at least seven meetings of which at least one will be held in each supervisory district.
In 2019, the Legislature passed a bill giving counties with a population of greater than 400,000 the ability to establish independent redistricting commissions. However, Newsom vetoed that Senate Bill 139 because “… local jurisdictions are already authorized to establish independent, advisory or hybrid redistricting commissions.”
After the board’s December vote on redistricting, Cervantes opined, “[It] violates state and federal law by intentionally fracturing compact and cohesive communities of Latino voters into multiple districts.”
During the board’s consideration of which map to choose, both supervisors Karen Spiegel (2nd District) and Chuck Washington (3rd District) asked the county counsel for the Executive Office Technical Committee whether the maps being reviewed met the criteria of the Voting Rights Act. And counsel replied that all the maps satisfied the Federal Voting Rights Act.
Nevertheless, Cervantes disagreed and said, “Assembly Bill 1307 ensures that members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors cannot draw their own district boundaries for their own benefit, and instead places that power where it rightfully belongs — with the people. Members of the State Legislature like myself do not get to draw their own districts. Why should members of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors be any different?”
After AB 1307 was signed, in an email to the Town Crier, Washington said, “Although I believe Riverside County’s redistricting process yielded a good product, there is always room for improvement. I would have liked more discussion to develop a local solution, but I support any effort to improve community engagement.”
In June, the American Civil Liberties Union filed litigation on behalf of the Inland Empire United and six individuals challenging the county’s redistricting decision. This is pending in federal court.
When asked if the new law might affect the lawsuit, Cervantes replied that she does not comment on pending litigation.
Monday, Sept. 19, Cervantes posted the following on her Facebook page, “The Governor signed my AB 1307 into law! An independent citizens redistricting commission will draw lines for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors starting in 2030. This will protect the voting rights of Latinos, & provide fairer maps that better represent our community.”
Members of the first County of Riverside Citizens Redistricting Commission will be selected before Dec. 31, 2030, and will serve until the appointment of the first member of the succeeding commission.
