UPDATE: I should point out that those who serve as an elected, staff, appointee on the local level are able to serve on the commission. Those who have served, or their immediate family has served, on a statewide and congressional level are eligible in it has been 10 years prior to sending in the application. But, if you are on a county central committee, yeah, you still aren’t eligible.
A while back I wrote about the redistricting commission. The application process is now open at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.
As I said then, many of us political junkies will be excluded. If you are on a central committee, have worked for a politician, or are directly related to somebody who has worked for a politician, you are excluded. That’s what makes the push to get progressives on the commission all the more important, and all the more challenging.
We’ll need to look to people who aren’t normally joiners, not on any state or local committees, but who are willing to give up a lot of time to help progressives get elected. We need to ensure that progressives are well-represented and that the committee isn’t wholly occupied by those who would simply do their best to push everybody to the squishy middle.
There are 5 seats for Democrats and Republicans, and 4 for others. We need to get some really solid progressives in those five Democratic seats, 5 people who are willing to go toe to toe with whomever Republicans get up there. They need to recognize the value of not only more Democrats, but also of better Democrats.
But those 4 other seats are where the game is really won or lost. We need as many as possible of those seats filled by progressives. Whether they are Greens, P&F, or a DTS, we simply need to know that they have an eye on creating a map that works for Californians. A map that reflects the diversity of the state and produces results that reflect the political reality of the state: conservatives and the right-wing Republicans are on the run. We shouldn’t give any gifts via a map.
You can check the application and eligibility requirements at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.
but I may be ineligible due to my age!
It says on their website that potential commissioners must have “voted in 2 of the past 3 general elections”, and must have “had consistent party affiliation for five years.” I’m 19 years old! I registered to vote on my eighteenth birthday, and I voted in the November general election and the May special election, but I am obviously not old enough to have had consistent party registration for five years.
I sent an e-mail to them about this, but I’m doubting that there will be much flexibility from them.
Is there any indication of what they’re looking for? I checked the website, all I could find were vague mentions of diversity and computer proficiency.
Thanks for the heads-up, Brian. I put in my application. I thought this was a garbage initiative when it passed, and I’m happy to try to stack it with progressives.
I don’t think that anybody that I know is eligible for membership, because we are too involved! I mean, who isn’t treasurer for a committee or doesn’t serve on a party committee or hasn’t run for state office? (I guess I’m atypical)
Who hasn’t changed parties in the last 5 years? I change all the time, to vote in Democratic primaries, to register my disgust with Democrats, etc. (currently dts). Oh well.
But because I live out-of-state, I may be ineligible. And while I’ve been a liberal independent for the last 5 years, I have no way to prove it as Texas does not require registering with a political party or as an independent.
Thanks for posting this Brian.
This is a crucial topic that can make or break our ability to pass meaningful legislation in Sacramento.
I think some quick organizing needs to happen to inform/educate some ‘progressive’ activists (who are eligible) and get them to apply.
It’s possible that some folks who have been active in Democratic clubs may still be eligible, as long as they haven’t served on a central committee, haven’t worked as a paid lobbyist, haven’t worked for a partisan elected official, and haven’t contributed more than $2,000 to a candidate.
I’m sure the right-wingers are organizing their folks to apply.
Between a year of college and 3 years in the US Air Force I’ve changed addresses and re-registered so many times I can hardly remember my current address. I think I registered as an independent at one point, but never cast a vote as such, so I don’t think that will count against me. If they want 5 years of constant registration, there’s no physical way for me to qualify for that, I’m only 22.
I’m disgusted at what has happened to this state, and yet I never threw in my lot with any of the Democratic organizations, because I viewed them as either corrupt or ineffective. Judging by the last 5 years of legislative incompetence, and especially the unbelievable failure to even try and fight Prop 8, I think my analysis has proved correct.
So here we are, with a sham legislature, a sham constitution, and a sham redistricting procedure. But what the hell, I’ll give it a shot.
I’m not sure if it will be possible to make a plan that meets the requirements for acceptance as it requires majority approval from each of the three groups.
http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/d…