Hundreds pack first hearing on California draft redistricting plan

Hundreds of people packed Thursday night's meeting of the California Citizen’s Redistricting Commission.

They came to complain about the panel’s plan redrawing political lines in Los Angeles.

The commission heard testimony for nearly five hours.

Rosalyn Gold of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials said Latinos accounted for 90 percent of California’s population growth over the past decade, “Yet when we look at the maps, we have serious concerns about whether that growth is reflected in increased opportunity for Latino political participation.”

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Gold said the commission’s plan proposes no increase in majority Latino state Assembly or congressional districts, and fewer Latino state senate districts.

Nancy Hoffman Vanyek of the San Fernando Valley Redistricting Coalition had other concerns. “What we’re really asking you tonight is to grant us districts that are wholly in the San Fernando Valley or in which the majority of voters are residents.”

The 11-member citizen’s panel is conducting a series of public hearings on its draft redistricting plan. The next is tonight at 6 p.m. at Rio Hondo College in Whittier. The deadline to adopt final political maps is August 15.