By JOSE HERRERA
LOS ANGELES — Members of the Los Angeles City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reforms attempted Thursday to hash out details for establishing an independent redistricting commission.
John Wickham, assistant chief legislative analyst, and committee members began Thursday’s meeting by discussing creating a mission statement to serve as the guiding principles for the redistricting process.
“I do think some kind of an acknowledgement in the preparatory phrasing of this about concerns over integrity in the process,” said Councilwoman Traci Park, a member of the committee formed in response last fall’s leak of a racist conversation featuring three council members discussing manipulation of the 2021 redistricting process.
“That’s why we’re having this conversation and acknowledging that as we think about the purpose and giving voice to that in the opening purpose language. It makes sense.”
The committee continued its discussion about what an independent redistricting committee would look like and how it should operate.
Wickham reiterated the independent redistricting commission is the one and only body to decide boundaries for council districts based on census data and following federal and state laws.
Independent redistricting commissioners could also consider a slew of factors such as, but not limited to, geography and communities of interest such as the city’s Neighborhood Councils. According to Wickham, it’s important the independent redistricting commission to define what a community of interest is as it will influence their decisions.
“The commission should have flexibility in defining what that will be, because 10 years from now, 20 years from now, and 30 years from now, that could be different from what you think it is today,” Wickham said.
If any commissioners were using the process to be divisive and produce maps that did not have a wide public approval or acceptance, there would be significant…
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