california citizens redistricting commission

California CitizensRedistricting Commission

Presentation by Stuart Waldman, President

Valley Industry and Commerce Association

Who We AreVICA has led an effort with other local grassroots and community organizations to inform the work of the Citizen’s Redistricting Commission. Our coalition includes:

• Valley Industry and Commerce Association• Valley Vote• United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley• Regional Black Chamber of Commerce• North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce• Greater San Fernando Valley Chamber of Commerce• Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council• Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce

Who We AreIn addition to our local meetings and one-on-one engagement, we have also created a website with our principles and maps. This site can be viewed anytime at:

http://wearesfv.org

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This map of San Fernando Valley

Communities was provided to the CRC

during the San Fernando Valley

Outreach Meeting.

What is the San Fernando Valley?

Today we build on this by providing a study from:

Regan M. Maas Center for Geographical Studies, CSU Northridge

San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This analysis helps us better define what the Valley is in terms of:

• Topography• Sub-regions, East/West of 405• Historic Communities• Neighborhood Councils• Transportation Patterns

San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This analysis helps us better define what the Valley is in terms of:

• Topography• Sub-regions, East/West of 405• Historic Communities• Neighborhood Councils• Transportation Patterns

SOURCE:San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This analysis helps us better define what the Valley is in terms of:

• Topography• Sub-regions, East/West of 405• Historic Communities• Neighborhood Councils• Transportation Patterns

SOURCE:San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This analysis helps us better define what the Valley is in terms of:

• Topography• Sub-regions, East/West of 405• Historic Communities and

Neighborhood Councils• Transportation Patterns

SOURCE:San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

What is the San Fernando Valley?

This analysis helps us better define what the Valley is in terms of:

• Topography• Sub-regions, East/West of 405• Historic Communities and

Neighborhood Councils• Transportation Patterns

SOURCE:San Fernando ValleyCommunity of Interest Analysis

Our Criteria for RedistrictingThrough working with our partners, the coalition has developed these a set

of principles for creating the districts we are proposing to you today. These districts would:

• Maximize the connection that legislators have with the San Fernando Valley.

• Maximize the number of districts that are either wholly within the Valley or in which the Valley is able to impact the outcomes of elections.

• When districts go outside the Valley, maximize percentage that are San Fernando Valley residents and protect like communities of interest.

Our Criteria for RedistrictingThrough working with our partners, the coalition has developed these a set

of principles for creating the districts we are proposing to you today. These districts would:

• Goals are Non-Partisan and are only to be shaped by the interest of maximizing representation and advancing goals of Valley businesses and residents.

• All recognized communities should be kept together as part of compact and contiguous districts which shall recognize geographic features and natural boundaries.

Current District Lines Do Not Respect the Valley

As Presented to the Commission at the San Fernando outreach meeting, the current lines for the Assembly and Senate do not respect the political or geographic boundaries of the San Fernando Valley.

• Several districts cut out portions of the San Fernando Valley and combine our populations with areas that are not a shared community of interest.

• As an example, with 1.8 million people, we have just one State Senator who lives in the Valley. San Francisco, with 800,000 people has two.

Current District Lines Do Not Respect the Valley

Current District Lines Do Not Respect the Valley

Current District Lines Do Not Respect the Valley

Current District Lines Do Not Respect the Valley

Our Proposed DistrictsWe are grateful for the opportunity to present Assembly, Senate and

Congressional plans, and we took this job seriously. Each of these plans:

• Follows the Commission Criteria of population equality.

• Provides population, ethnicities, and Citizen Voting Age population for ethnicities.

• Because the San Fernando Valley includes a geographically compact and cohesive Citizen Voting Age Latino population which can become more than 50% of an Assembly or Congressional district, these plans drew majority-minority seats to comply with Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Our Proposed DistrictsWe are grateful for the opportunity to present Assembly, Senate and

Congressional plans, and we took this job seriously. Each of these plans:

• After achieving compliance with the VRA, followed criteria of maintaining counties and cities, and neighborhoods, which in the Valley can be larger and more cohesive communities than some cities.

• Sought to improve geographic compactness, particularly by not bypassing a nearby population to include a more distant group, except when something like a mountain range divided those communities.

• Followed the required nesting of Assembly and Senate Districts.

Proposed Assembly Districts

Questions and Answers Regarding Congressional Plan

Proposed Assembly DistrictsThe Assembly districts proposed under this plan include the same criteria and

rules used in the congressional plan, except for:

• Assembly Districts are nested, with two seats for each one Senate seat.

• Where there is an interest in maximizing Latino influence in a Senate District, this is also a driving factor in creation of the Assembly districts.

• While Congressional plans had a 0% deviation, these have a 4% deviation due to the desire to maintain the boundaries of established neighborhoods.

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

Methods of Transportation

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

Mountains and Valleys

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

Latino VRA Community

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

Jewish Community of Interest

Proposed Assembly Districts

The five Assembly seats included in the San Fernando Valley

provide for:

Respect for Geography

Following Voting Rights Act

Respect for communities of

Interest

LGBT Community of Interest

Proposed Assembly Districts

Questions and Answers Regarding Assembly Plan

Proposed Senate DistrictsThe Senate Districts are created by nesting Assembly districts. These were

done with an eye on several criteria.

• The district build on communities of interest, building strong districts for ethnic and other groups.

• There was an attempt to create a majority-minority Latino district, but it was not achievable using CVAP.

• We sought to maximize the Latino percentage in District A and it is a majority-minority-coalition seat, not required by Section 2, but still appropriate for this commission to consider.

Proposed Assembly Districts

Questions and Answers Regarding Senate Plan

California CitizensRedistricting Commission

Presentation by Stuart Waldman, President

Valley Industry and Commerce Association