WELCOME FROM THE CHAIR
Thank you for following the work of the 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission!
As the rotating Chair of the Commission, I would like to share some of the good work the Commission has already engaged in over the past month: I am delighted to announce the hiring of a new Executive Director who will assist the Commission in ensuring a transparent, inclusive, and fair redistricting process. The U.S. Census Bureau has indicated a new release date for census data which will provide us with the opportunity to conduct more public education and outreach. In the meantime, we have launched the Communities of Interest (COI) tool to collect public input. Lastly, we have a new and improved website with information about the redistricting process in California, including a Questions and Answers Section. We invite you to visit the website for regular updates: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org.
Pedro Toledo, JD, MHSA, MA
Chair, 2020 California Citizens Redistricting Commission
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
At the February 24th commission meeting, the commission confirmed Interim Executive Director Álvaro E. Hernández as its permanent Executive Director. Prior to joining the Commission, Mr. Hernández served as Manager of the California Franchise Tax Board’s (FTB) Education and Outreach Section in the Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate’s Office and was previously the Small Business Liaison for many years. He coordinated the development and information outreach for the small business community to assist with their income tax responsibilities as well as shared FTB services and resources available to them. He also served as the department’s spokesperson for Spanish-language media.
CENSUS DELAYS
The U.S. Census Bureau announced that it will deliver redistricting data to all states by Sept. 30, 2021. The California Supreme Court’s July 17, 2020, ruling in Legislature v. Padilla anticipated release of the redistricting data by July 31 and established an adjusted deadline of December 15 for the Commission to submit its certified maps to the Secretary of State. To the extent that the redistricting data are received by the state after July 31, 2021, the ruling further extends the Commission’s deadline to submit its certified maps to the Secretary of State by the same number of days after the adjusted deadline of December 15, 2021. For example, if there is a 60-day delay in receipt of the data beyond July 31, the Commission would have until 60 days after December 15 to submit its certified maps. We will provide additional updates as they develop.
COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOOL
The Commission, in partnership with the California Statewide Database, recently announced the launch of the Communities of Interest (COI) input tool, designed to make it easier for Californians to participate in the redistricting process. Through the COI tool, Californians can tell the Commission about their community, draw their community on a map, and submit it directly to the Commission as public input. In addition to the map drawing feature, the COI tool will capture anecdotal information that will be used to help shape the boundaries of a community.
The tool is currently available in English and Spanish. The interface and additional materials such as tutorials and the user guide will be made available in the following additional languages: Simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Farsi, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, Punjabi, and Khmer. The Commission has requested cost estimates for additional languages and will consider expanding the list once it receives them.
Visit the COI tool page at: https://drawmycacommunity.org.
WEBSITE
The Commission has developed a new website (https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org). The current website (https://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/) will remain active with 2010 Commission content. The 2020 Commission feels it is important to keep the 2010 Commission content active, as it serves both historic and educational purposes. Links from one website to the other have been provided during the transition phase.
We are excited to show you our new look. Take a moment to visit us at: https://www.wedrawthelinesca.org. The website is a living database of information and will be updated daily. We ask that you look around and tell us what you think.
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