The latest from FR correspondent Bradley Benbrook, who is keeping a close eye on the redistricting process as we move closer to the redrawing of legislative lines…
One Step Closer To The Prop 11 Redistricting Commission
Bradley Benbrook
California’s new redistricting process took another step forward this week with the selection of a three-member “applicant review panel,” comprised of three CPA’s from the Bureau of State Audits (one Republican, one Democrat, and one decline-to-state) who will review a mountain of applications for Proposition 11’s Citizen’s Redistricting Commission. Next year this panel will publicly interview applicants and ultimately narrow the field to three groups of 20 Republicans, 20 Democrats, and 20 unaffiliated applicants they deem “most qualified” under Proposition 11’s qualification standards.
State Auditor Elaine Howell stood before a tightly-packed group of about 40 people – nearly all of whom appeared to work in the State Auditor’s office, and nearly half of whom were themselves prospective panelists – and spun a bingo cage filled with ping-pong balls. Consistent with the regulations recently adopted by her office, Ms. Howell opened a new box of ping-pong balls for each group of prospective panelists. The roughly 10-minute process lacked a certain lottery feel to it, since the “winners” of this drawing face a year of hard and potentially controversial work, rather than a pile of money. Indeed, the first two Republican panelists whose balls were picked actually declined the opportunity to serve.
After their selection, the three panelists (and three alternates) posed for pictures and were quickly ushered out of the room without making statements or taking questions. The BSA issued a press release that offered this information about the panelists:
Before the drawing, the panelists were screened for “conflicts of interest” under Proposition 11, which means than none of them have, over the past 10 years:
- Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a party or of the campaign committee of a candidate for federal or state office;
- Served as an elected or appointed member of a party central committee;
- Been a registered federal, state, or local lobbyist;
- Served as paid congressional or legislative staff; or
- Contributed two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more to any congressional, state, or local candidate in any year.
One more important thing to note: The review panel will begin accepting applications for the redistricting commission on December 15, 2009, and the application window remains open until February 12, 2010. Applications are available on the BSA’s new web site — under the tab marked “Application and Selection Process.”
You can reach Mr. Benbrook, via the FR, here.
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