Welcome to the July edition of the California Citizen Redistricting Commission newsletter. Ten years ago, in July 2011, the first Commission had already received the 2010 Census data and had already issued its first draft maps. With the unprecedented six-month delay to the 2020 Census data, the present Commission still awaits the new population numbers needed to start its mapping work. Equal population is the first and most important criterion for drawing fair and equitable election districts.
Meanwhile, the Commission has been busy listening to Californians as they provide public input during Communities of Interest (COI) meetings. We have held six COI meetings to date and have approximately thirty more to go. That is thirty more opportunities for you to tell the Commission how you want us to keep your community together during redistricting. For a full list of meetings, click here.
We have added two more key positions to the outreach team. Anne Marx will serve as our Outreach Manager and Ashleigh Howick will serve as Team Lead for Northern California, which includes Zones A-D. We are still looking to hire a data manager. Please visit our website for additional information: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/jobs_contracting.
As COVID restrictions are lifted, the Commission will be weighing the possibility of holding in-person meetings. While Zoom has made the Commission easily accessible to Californians from the comfort of their own homes, Commissioners are eager to visit communities all around California and see first-hand the places and issues we have been hearing about. Keep an eye out for announcements on this and other important redistricting updates.
As Tip O’Neil famously quipped, “All politics is local.” Here in my hometown of Oakland, that would presently be issues around housing and homelessness, police funding, the pandemic, educational equity, sea level rise, fire and earthquake hazards, and the future of our beloved Athletics baseball team. The Commission wants to hear about what is local for you and how our work can help you effectively care for your community
This week the U.S. Census Bureau indicated in a court filing that they intend to release census numbers in legacy format “no later than August 16, 2021.” We will remain vigilant for other updates.
Read the court filing here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20973851-state-of-ohio-june-28-2021-notice.
Your input is vital to the success of the Commission. We need your Communities of Interest information to respect the boundaries of your communities to the best of our ability during the redistricting process. Join one of our upcoming COI input sessions.
During these meetings you will be asked to describe your community.
- Begin with your county or city.
- Mention the street names and significant locations in your neighborhood to help us identify the parameters of your community.
- What are your shared interests?
- What brings you together?
- What is important to your community?
- Are there nearby areas you want to be in a district with?
- Nearby areas you don't want to be in a district with? Why or why not?
- Has your community come together to advocate for important services, better schools, roads, or health centers in your neighborhood?
Registration is not required to participate in these public input meetings. The call-in number for public input on the day of the event will be (877)853-5247.
We invite all Californians to get involved in the redistricting process by providing their input today at https://DrawMyCACommunity.org.
Our partners at the Statewide Database have produced a series of videos to help you provide COI input to the Commission by using the online COI tool at https://drawmycacommunity.org/. Their YouTube page contains tutorials on:
Draw My CA Community Walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go9KBuBUnKs
Describe Your Community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5A53xVzX5s&t=25s
Drawing Tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0fV3AWYdmY
Save and My Maps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Gjy-yyKYA
Submit Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOjqffQRy-Q
Changes are coming to the CRC website. In an effort to continue providing up to date information as we move through the different phases of redistricting, we will be adding additional content and educational materials to our website. We have also added an accessibility statement and certification to ensure our site is accessible to all. https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/accessibility.
Visit our website regularly to be in the know: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/.
We recently added two members to the CRC team. Anne Marx joins the Commission staff as Outreach Manager following a 12-year career in access to justice, with a focus on improving disability and language access with the California Judicial Council’s Court Interpreters Program. She was the program lead on the promotion of court interpreting as a profession and American Sign Language interpreting issues. Anne is also a member of the California Bar with experience in business, government, technology, law, marketing, and public relations. She is a Fulbright Scholar and graduate of Scripps Women’s College and UC Hastings College of the Law. Anne grew up in San Diego and loves swimming, spending time in the fresh air, playing at family camp, and communicating in different languages including Spanish and Hebrew.
Ashleigh Howick will serve as Field Lead for Northern California. She joins the Commission from the City of Fremont, where she served as Census Coordinator, heading outreach efforts during the 2020 Census. As a result of her role in that position, the city experienced a higher Census completion rate than they had in 2010 and a higher rate than the statewide average for 2020. Ashleigh is currently finishing her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at UC Davis. She also brings supervisorial experience working as a manager in a local business and as a Regional Political Director for a State Assemblywoman. Ashleigh was born and raised in the Bay Area and loves the vibrancy of all the cities and cultures. She also enjoys exploring State and National Parks, watching movies, and trying new foods.
Visit the staff page on our website to see the full list of CRC staff: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/staff.
The Commission seeks a Data Manager to provide leadership in the development and execution of the Commission’s Public Input data analytics plan, including oversight and direct responsibility for initiatives to achieve the Commission’s goals and objectives for carrying out the plan. The applicant should be a creative problem-solver with experience in management, data analysis and modeling, research methodology, and statistical procedures, along with the ability to manage analysts, and to work with data from a variety of disciplines. A strong candidate for this position will have a demonstrated background in project management and have experience validating and synthesizing data from a variety of disciplines.
To apply, visit our website at: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/jobs_contracting.
Here are some of our upcoming meetings for July. We welcome you to join us and take part in the conversation. All meetings are currently held virtually until further notice.
July 2, 2021 Meeting (Postponed until July 19, 2021)
(Zone B--Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting
July 6, 2021 Meeting
Public Input Design Committee Meeting – 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 7, 2021 Meeting
2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Meeting – 9:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 8, 2021 Meeting
(dedicated time for Vietnamese/Korean interpretation by request)
(Zone J--Orange)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 10, 2021 Meeting
(dedicated time for Spanish interpretation by request)
(Zone K--Imperial, San Diego)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 12, 2021 Meeting
(Zone F--Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 13, 2021 Meeting
2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission Meeting – 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 15, 2021 Meeting
(dedicated time for Farsi/Armenian interpretation by request)
(Zone H--Los Angeles)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 4:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 17, 2021 Meeting
(dedicated time for Russian/Chinese-Cantonese interpretation by request)
(Zone C--Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
July 19, 2021 Meeting (Rescheduled from July 2, 2021)
(Zone B--Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama)
Communities of Interest Public Input Meeting – 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. daily or upon conclusion of business
For a full list of upcoming meetings and to review past meeting content and videos, please visit: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/meetings.
This month, we introduce you to Alicia Fernández, a Republican from Clarksburg, CA. Commissioner Fernández recently retired with over 30 years of experience working for the State of California. She is a first generation Mexican-American, raised in a Delta farming community. Commissioner Fernández served as a School Board Trustee for 14 years, and was the first Hispanic School Board Trustee elected, even though the district’s student population was 50% Hispanic. She received her Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Business Administration degrees from CSU, Sacramento.
Learn more about Commissioner Fernández here: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org/alicia_fern_ndez.
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