One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
31,000 Californians Want to be on State's Redistricting Commission
Assembly Districts in the Los Angles region | Map via the California Voter Foundation
Would you like to redraw the political district lines of California's state legislature? How about the lines for the Board of Equalization, which administers some taxes? California is the only state where a citizen effort to redraw district lines is underway and the zeal shows from the 31,000 applications tells us how much people want to be involved, according to the New York Times.
So far, 5,000 have been cut out of the process and now state officials must get the list down to a whole 14 people--five Democrats, five Republicans and four others.
Of course, this is California, meaning citizen initiated ballot propositions that may be on November's ballot could change everything. One would expand the powers of the commission to draw congressional districts and another would fold the commission, which Californians barely voted to create in 2008.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
