BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SB 958
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Date of Hearing: August 3, 2016
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Lorena Gonzalez, Chair
SB 958
(Lara) - As Amended June 21, 2016
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|Policy |Elections and Redistricting |Vote:|5 - 2 |
|Committee: | | | |
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| |Local Government | |6 - 3 |
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Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: YesReimbursable:
Yes
SUMMARY:
This bill establishes a 14-member Citizens Redistricting
Commission in Los Angeles County to adjust the County's
supervisorial districts after each decennial census. The bill
proscribes the qualifications of, and process for selecting, the
commissioners and the criteria for the commission to apply in
drawing district boundaries. The bill also requires the LA
county Board of Supervisors to provide funding and staffing for
SB 958
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the commission.
FISCAL EFFECT:
Significant state reimbursable General Fund costs of at least of
several hundred thousand dollars every ten years. (Unlike prior
legislation establishing a similar commission for San Diego
County, SB 958 is not being requested by LA County and thus
creates a reimbursable state mandate.)
COMMENTS:
1)Purpose. According to the author, "Senate Bill 958 seeks to
align the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors'
redistricting policy with the statewide movement toward
independent redistricting. SB 958 builds upon the precedent
set by SB 1331 (Kehoe) [of 2012], which created an independent
redistricting commission to draw San Diego County's
supervisorial district boundaries? By empowering a 14-member
body to redraw supervisors' districts, instead of allowing the
five county supervisors to draw the lines themselves, SB 958
will allow a broader range of perspectives and voices to
determine the boundaries' shape. This will help ensure that
supervisorial boundaries will reflect Los Angeles County's
broad demographic and regional diversity."
2)Related Legislation. SB 1108 (Allen), pending in the Assembly,
allows a county or a general law city to establish an
independent redistricting commission with the power to adopt
district boundaries of the county's or city's legislative
body.
Analysis Prepared by:Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916)
SB 958
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319-2081