Bill Text: CA SB158 | 2019-2020 | Regular Session | Chaptered

California Senate Bill 158 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: County of Los Angeles Citizens Redistricting Commission: membership.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-08-29 - From committee: Be re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A. pursuant to Senate Rule 29.10(d). (Ayes 3. Noes 0. Page 4420.) Re-referred to Com. on E. & C.A. [SB158 Detail]

Download: California-2019-SB158-Chaptered.html

Senate Bill No. 158

CHAPTER 107

An act to amend Section 21532 of the Elections Code, relating to elections, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.

[ Approved by Governor September 18, 2020. Filed with Secretary of State September 18, 2020. ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 158, Allen. County of Los Angeles Citizens Redistricting Commission: membership.

Existing law creates the Citizens Redistricting Commission in the County of Los Angeles and sets out a selection process for its membership designed to produce a commission that is independent from the influence of the county’s Board of Supervisors and reasonably representative of the county’s diversity. Existing law requires the political party preferences of the redistricting commission members to be as proportional as possible to the political party preferences among the registered voters of the county, though they are not required to be of exactly the same proportion.

This bill would require that the proportional representation in the redistricting commission include the category of voters in the county who decline to state or do not indicate a party preference.

This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.

Vote: 2/3 Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: NO Local Program: NO

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 21532 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

21532.

(a) The commission shall be created no later than December 31, 2020, and in each year ending in the number zero thereafter.

(b) The selection process is designed to produce a commission that is independent from the influence of the board and reasonably representative of the county’s diversity.

(c) The commission shall consist of 14 members. The political party preferences of the commission members, as shown on the members’ most recent affidavits of registration, shall be as proportional as possible to the total number of voters who are registered with each political party in the County of Los Angeles or who decline to state or do not indicate a party preference, as determined by registration at the most recent statewide election. However, the political party or no party preferences of the commission members are not required to be exactly the same as the proportion of political party and no party preferences among the registered voters of the county. At least one commission member shall reside in each of the five existing supervisorial districts of the board.

(d) Each commission member shall meet all of the following qualifications:

(1) Be a resident of the County of Los Angeles.

(2) Be a voter who has been continuously registered in the County of Los Angeles with the same political party or no party preference and who has not changed their political party or no party preference for five or more years immediately preceding the date of their appointment to the commission.

(3) Have voted in at least one of the last three statewide elections immediately preceding their application to be a member of the commission.

(4) Within the 10 years immediately preceding the date of application to the commission, neither the applicant, nor an immediate family member of the applicant, has done any of the following:

(A) Been appointed to, elected to, or have been a candidate for office at the local, state, or federal level representing the County of Los Angeles, including as a member of the board.

(B) Served as an employee of, or paid consultant for, an elected representative at the local, state, or federal level representing the County of Los Angeles.

(C) Served as an employee of, or paid consultant for, a candidate for office at the local, state, or federal level representing the County of Los Angeles.

(D) Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party or as an appointed member of a political party central committee.

(E) Been a registered state or local lobbyist.

(5) Possess experience that demonstrates analytical skills relevant to the redistricting process and voting rights, and possess an ability to comprehend and apply the applicable state and federal legal requirements.

(6) Possess experience that demonstrates an ability to be impartial.

(7) Possess experience that demonstrates an appreciation for the diverse demographics and geography of the County of Los Angeles.

(e) An interested person meeting the qualifications specified in subdivision (d) may submit an application to the county elections official to be considered for membership on the commission. The county elections official shall review the applications and eliminate applicants who do not meet the specified qualifications.

(f) (1) From the pool of qualified applicants, the county elections official shall select 60 of the most qualified applicants, taking into account the requirements described in subdivision (c). The county elections official shall make public the names of the 60 most qualified applicants for at least 30 days. The county elections official shall not communicate with a member of the board, or an agent for a member of the board, about any matter related to the nomination process or applicants before the publication of the list of the 60 most qualified applicants.

(2) During the period described in paragraph (1), the county elections official may eliminate any of the previously selected applicants if the official becomes aware that the applicant does not meet the qualifications specified in subdivision (d).

(g) (1) After complying with the requirements of subdivision (f), the county elections official shall create a subpool for each of the five existing supervisorial districts of the board.

(2) (A) At a regularly scheduled meeting of the board, the Auditor-Controller of the County of Los Angeles shall conduct a random drawing to select one commissioner from each of the five subpools established by the county elections official.

(B) After completing the random drawing pursuant to subparagraph (A), at the same meeting of the board, the Auditor-Controller shall conduct a random drawing from all of the remaining applicants, without respect to subpools, to select three additional commissioners.

(h) (1) The eight selected commissioners shall review the remaining names in the subpools of applicants and shall appoint six additional applicants to the commission.

(2) The six appointees shall be chosen based on relevant experience, analytical skills, and ability to be impartial, and to ensure that the commission reflects the county’s diversity, including racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity. However, formulas or specific ratios shall not be applied for this purpose. The eight commissioners shall also consider political party preference, selecting applicants so that the political party preference of the members of the commission complies with subdivision (c).

SEC. 2.

This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the meaning of Article IV of the California Constitution and shall go into immediate effect. The facts constituting the necessity are:

In order to ensure that the procedures established and protections afforded by this act are effective for the independent redistricting commission process at the earliest possible time, it is necessary for this act to take effect immediately.