Asian Pacific American Legal Center
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 14, 2009
CONTACT: Eugene Lee, 213-241-0212
Deanna Kitamura, 213-241-0232
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR NEW REDISTRICTING COMMISSION
OPEN FROM DECEMBER 15, 2009 TO FEBRUARY 12, 2010
Asian American and Pacific Islander applicants needed
Los Angeles – Every ten years, the voting lines in California are redrawn to evenly divide the voting districts based on the latest census data. How the lines are drawn can determine who will run for office and who will win, and whether communities are kept together or split unfairly. In the past, the State Legislature has drawn the district maps for the State Assembly, State Senate, and Board of Equalization (an elected tax agency). Because of Proposition 11, a 14-person citizens commission will be in charge of redistricting in 2011. The application process for the commission is open from December 15, 2009 until February 12, 2010.
In 2011, the commission will hold public hearings throughout California, evaluate relevant materials, and eventually draw the new district maps. From January 2011 until the commission adopts new maps in September 2011, the commissioners may spend 10-40 hours a week or more on their responsibilities. The commissioners are paid $300 per day plus expenses when doing commission business.
The maps the commission draws will determine whether Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are kept together or split by district boundaries. “We need qualified Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to apply for the commission so that our communities have a voice in this process,” said Eugene Lee, Voting Rights Project Director at the Asian Pacific American Legal Center.
To apply for the commission, individuals must fill out an online form. The form can be found at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov and is due by February 12, 2010. The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) and its partner organizations will conduct application workshops during January and the first part of February to assist individuals with the application. A schedule of the workshops can be found at www.facebook.com/capafr2011.
After the application period is over, the 14 commissioners will be selected in a multi-step process that is supervised by the California State Auditor. A panel of three government auditors will review the applications and select 120 applicants for interviews. The panel will then choose a final list of 60 applicants from which eight commissioners are randomly chosen. These eight commissioners will then pick the remaining six commissioners.
The commission members will be appointed by December 31, 2010. The commission will be made of five registered Democrats, five registered Republicans, and four individuals who are either decline-to-state or registered with a third party.
To serve on the commission, an individual must be a registered voter in California for at least the last five years with the same party (or non-party) affiliation; have voted in at least two of the last three statewide general elections; and have relevant analytical skills, be impartial, and appreciate California’s diversity.
An applicant will be disqualified if, within the past ten years, he/she or a member of his/her immediate family has been in or a candidate for federal or state office; been appointed as a member of a political party central committee; served as a paid congressional, legislative, or Board of Equalization staff; been a registered lobbyist; or contributed $2,000 or more to any congressional, state, or local candidate in a year.
Additionally, individuals who are appointed to the commission face restrictions on future political activities. Until the end of 2020, they may not run for federal, state, county or city office. Until the end of 2015, they may not be appointed to federal, state or local office; serve as paid staff for the state legislature or any individual legislator; or register as a federal, state or local lobbyist within California.
For more information about the commission or the workshops, please contact APALC at redistricting@apalc.org or visit www.facebook.com/capafr2011. The California State Auditor has information translated in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese posted on its website at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov/toolkit.html.
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Founded in 1983, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for civil rights, providing legal services and building coalitions to positively influence and impact Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to create a more equitable and harmonious society. APALC is affiliated with the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C.
APALC Online:
www.apalc.org
Contact Us:
1145 Wilshire Blvd. #200
Los Angeles, CA 90017
(213) 977-7500
