SLO County Will Have an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 977 creating an independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (CRC) for San Luis Obispo County. The law will go into effect in January 2025 and the CRC will be in place for the 2030 – 2031 redistricting cycle.
The League of Women Voters has long advocated for independent commissions to replace the drawing of electoral districts by elected officials. Independent commissions have been shown to curb gerrymandering by reducing partisan influence in the drawing of electoral boundaries. They help to ensure fair representation for all Americans.
We are grateful to Senator John Laird for sponsoring SB 977 and to Assemblymember Dawn Addis for supporting the measure. We thank Supervisors Bruce Gibson, Dawn Ortiz-Legg, and Jimmy Paulding for their decision to pursue “special legislation” as the most expeditious way to make the CRC a reality. We are indebted to the SLO County Citizens for Good Government for challenging the flawed redistricting process following the 2020 census and building public awareness of the harm of partisan redistricting. We thank the leadership of the League of Women Voters of California for their encouragement and guidance and the many members of our League who supported us as we joined with SLOCCGG to overturn the Patten Map.
The next steps will be in 2029 – 2030 when the protocols and procedures for implementing the CRC are established and the commissioners chosen. We intend that our League members will be actively involved in monitoring the process and educating the public about the commission.
For more information on SB 977 and what it means for the future of redistricting in SLO County go to the League website at https://www.lwvslo.org to find background information on redistricting in general and the state of independent redistricting commissions in California and view our recent webinar “The Future of Redistricting in SLO County”.