Monday Morning: Will U.S. Supreme Court Strike Down, Or Allow, Independent Redistricting Comm'n In AZ, And Thereby Undercut Or Leave Unscathed CA's Independent Redistricting Comm'n (That Voters Created To Draw Election District Lines)?
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(June 28, 2015) -- LBREPORT.com plans to provide LIVE coverage on Monday morning June 29 at 7 a.m. PDT as the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to issue a ruling that may strike down, or uphold, an independent redistricting commission in Arizona.
The Court's ruling in the Arizona case may or may not undercut CA's voter-enacted independent redistricting commission, to which CA voters gave authority to draw election district lines, taking that power away from CA's legislature [which historically gerrymandered district lines to create "safe" election districts for incumbents.]
At issue is whether the U.S. Constitution requires the formal state legislature, not some independent redistricting commission, to draw election district lines. Depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court rules, CA's independent redistricting commission -- approved and established by a margin of over 60% of CA voters -- may be at risk.
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As the CA Redistricting Commission notes on its website, "A ruling against the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission would negatively impact California’s Prop 20, the measure passed by voters in 2010 that mandated California’s Congressional Districts be drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission in a non-partisan, open, and transparent process."
In a political irony, the Arizona legislature is mainly Republican, and AZ Repub state legislators challenged a voter enacted measure giving line-drawing to an independent Arizona body comprised of two Dems, two Repubs and one independent. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Arizona Repubs challenge (that a formal state legislature, not an independent body, has line drawing power), the outcome may undermine the authority of CA's independent redistrict commission. CA voters supported Prop 20 by an over 60% margin to prevent the CA legislators (currently in Dem majority control) from drawing district lines to enable their easy reelection or their party's position.
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In advance of the Supreme Court's ruling, Cong. Dana Rohrabacher (R., HB) introduced legislation, supported by 16 bipartisan co-sponsors including Cong. Alan Lowenthal (D, LB-West OC), intended to protect Congressional district lines drawn by independent redistricting commissions in CA, HI, ID, NJ and WA) to keep their current districts drawn by independent redistricting commissions until after 2020 census [comment: yes, protecting their own current district lines.]. On June 16, 2015, the bill (in the Repub majority House) was referred to the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.
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LBREPORT.com will have the Court's ruling on our front page -- www.LBREPORT.com -- at 7:00 a.m. PDT Monday as soon as it's received.
