Audio: Capital Public Radio Story on California Redistricting

Draft Redistricting Maps Ignore Incumbents

California lawmakers are probably staring at maps this afternoon – and assessing their political futures.

  By  Ben Adler

Capital Public Radio (Sacramento NPR Affiliate)

Click Here to listen to this story [AUDIO: Ben Adler gives a summary of budget activity and redistricting news at the Capitol] The maps come from the California Citizens Redistricting Commission.  The panel approved its first draft of new congressional and legislative districts Friday. Commissioner Vince Barabba is a Republican from the Santa Cruz area and the former director of the U-S Census Bureau.  He says unlike previous redistricting efforts, incumbent politicians had no part in this process. Barabba: "By law, we were precluded from talking with them or even considering where they live or the existing districts.  So when people say, you've really made this more competitive - that is a result of doing the things that were in the constitution." Barabba says the commission drew the maps based on factors like equal population, the federal Voting Rights Act and "communities of interest" like regions and minorities. The commission will release the second draft on July 7th.  The final district maps are due in mid-August.