[EL] New report: "California Citizens Redistricting Commission: Fair Maps, Voting Rights, and Diversity"

[Christian Robert Grose]

Dear Election Law listserv: Today a new policy report was released entitled "California Citizens Redistricting Commission: Fair Maps, Voting Rights, and Diversity" (co-authored by Dr. Jason Casellas, Dr. Michael Minta, and Dr. Christian Grose). We thought this may be of interest and are passing it along. The report was published by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute and it is available here.<http://schwarzeneggerinstitute.com/images/files/FINALRELEASE_USC_Schwarzenegger_Redistricting_Commission_Diversity_Report.pdf>

We analyze racial and ethnic diversity in the 2020 California commission process so far with the first 8 commissioners being sworn in tomorrow. We also analyze the ability to elect African American, Asian American, and Latino members of Congress and the state legislature from California. Regarding this last point, we find the Commission maps used in 2012-2020 doubled the percentage of Latino members of the U.S. House from California and doubled the percentage of AAPI members of the U.S. House from California.

The 2022 process for selecting commissioners in California is also examined, and the report highlights the historic percentage of African-American commissioners in the first 8 selected; as well as the role of the California state legislature in striking Latino applicants from the pool; among other findings. The report includes recommendations on considering voting rights and communities of interest in redistricting, drawing upon our expertise as academics.

An executive summary is appended below, and recommendations are included in the report<http://schwarzeneggerinstitute.com/images/files/FINALRELEASE_USC_Schwarzenegger_Redistricting_Commission_Diversity_Report.pdf>.

Christian Grose


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS FROM "California Citizens Redistricting Commission: Fair Maps, Voting Rights, and Diversity" by Jason Casellas, Michael Minta, and Christian Grose

* We examine racial and ethnic diversity in the California Citizens Redistricting Process.

* In 2020, from the completed application stage to the selection of 60 finalists for the commission, the Asian-American applicant proportion increased by 14.2 percentage points; and the Latino/a applicant proportion increased by 9.9 percentage points.  Prior to this, though, there were lower proportions of Asian-American and Latino/a applicants relative to the California voting-eligible population and state population.

* California legislative leaders' ability to strike 24 of the 60 finalists led to a numerical decline in Latino/a finalists. Had the legislature not struck 7 of 14 Latino/a finalists, the random draw choosing the first eight commissioners would likely have resulted in at least 1, if not more, Latino/a commissioners among the first 8.

* 62.5% of the first eight chosen identify as people of color. However, no Latino/a Californians were chosen among the first eight commissioners.  The new partially-formed commission has three African-American members, a historic high for a California redistricting commission; two Asian-American members; and three white members. There are four women and four men in the first eight. Two commissioners also identify as LGBTQ.

* The first eight commissioners are required by law to consider diversity imbalances in selecting the final six commissioners. The Commission will add 6 final members by August 15, and has an opportunity and is likely to appoint Latino/a commissioners to the final 14.

* The Voters First Act establishing the Commission requires diversity as a consideration in drawing the maps. We analyze the California state legislature and congressional delegation under the commission-drawn map used from 2012 to 2020. We also evaluate the diversity of legislators elected under the legislative-drawn map from a decade prior. The commission-drawn map had greater racial and ethnic diversity among legislators.

* The Commission map doubled the percentage of Latino/a and Asian-American members of the U.S. House delegation from California over the last decade's legislative-drawn map.

* The Commission state legislative maps increased the percentage of Latino/a, African-American, Asian-American state legislators over the last decade's legislative-drawn map.
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Christian Grose
Academic Director, USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy
Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy
University of Southern California
Twitter: @christiangrose<https://twitter.com/christiangrose>
Web site: https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/faculty-and-staff/faculty.cfm?pid=1032675

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