Editor, Ceres Courier,
Partisan gerrymandering in California became so bad that voters placed an initiative on the ballot in 2008 to appoint an independent redistricting commission to draw the California Legislature’s district lines and followed up in 2010 by adding congressional redistricting, which passed in a landslide with 61.2% of voters supporting it. You don’t get to that percentage without overwhelming bipartisan support by voters from both parties and independents.
After every census, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC), which is made up of 14 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and four members who are not affiliated with either of the two major parties, starts the months-long process of public hearings and drawing up numerous maps. When drawing district lines, the CCRC must follow specific criteria, including equal population, compliance with the Voting Rights Act, and respect for communities of interest. In a single-party rule state, this is an excellent check and balance on the state government’s power. Everyone gets input.
Currently, voter registration in California breaks down as follows: Democrats (45.3%), Republicans (25.2%) and independents (also known as “decline to state” or “no party preference”) come in at 22.3%. The system is not perfect and can still be manipulated by private interests, but it’s better than the previous model.
These are the rules we voted for and regardless of what other states may do, these are the rules we should maintain. I do not trust the party that controls every statewide elected office and commands supermajorities in the Assembly and Senate to redraw a handful of districts, because it bypasses input from voters and communities of interest and sets a terrible precedent. I have confidence that if it does somehow make it onto the ballot and passes, it will be tied up in the courts for years.
Alan Garner
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