New bill would help create commission
San Luis Obispo County is one step closer to establishing an independent redistricting commission — which means voters, rather than elected officials, will chose the county's future supervisor district boundaries.
County counsel Rita Neal presented a draft of the bill designed to create the commission at Tuesday's San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting.
Senate Bill 977, authored by State Senator John Laird, will create an appointed, nonpartisan group of citizens that replace the board in approving district boundaries.
The board voted 3-2 to endorse the draft bill and direct Supervisor Bruce Gibson to testify at state Senate hearings in support of the bill. Supervisors John Peschong and Debbie Arnold dissented.
“What we are creating is a process that will bring transparency into SLO County,” Supervisor Jimmy Paulding said during discussion.
Community members asked for an independent redistricting commission after the previous board majority approved a radically redrawn district map that some said favored Republicans in 2021.
San Luis Obispo County Citizens for Good Government and the SLO County League of Women Voters sued the county, arguing the map was gerrymandered. On March 21, 2023, the new board majority voted to settle the lawsuit and select a new map.
In January, the board voted to direct county staff to work with Laird's office to draft a bill to establish a commission for the county.
Who will serve on the commission?
The commission will have 11 members, according to Neal. Depending on edits to the bill draft, the commission could be structured in one of two ways: where at least two commission members live in each of the five supervisorial districts with one at- large member, or where five members are selected from each district alongside six at-large members.
Members will need to meet a list of requirements. For example, they must be registered to vote in the county, and they cannot be elected officials, employees of elected officials or campaigns, lobbyists or their close family members, Neal said.
Prospective members would apply to the county elections official, who would eliminate applicants who don't meet the criteria.
The elections official would then select up to 60 applicants and publicly publish their names. For the next 30 days, the official could disqualify an applicant if it is revealed that they do not meet the criteria.
The official will divide the remaining applicants into groups based on what supervisorial district they live in. Then, at a regularly scheduled board meeting, the clerk of the board will randomly select one commissioner from each district. Those five commissioners will conduct interviews and then appoint six more members at another public meeting.
If a commissioner resigns or is removed, the commission chair will chose a replacement from the previously mentioned pool of qualified applicants, according to Neal. The replacement must have the same political party affiliation and live in the same district as their predecessor, she said.
The commission will have five public meetings before drawing the map — one in each district, and three public meetings after drawing the map. Seven or more votes would be required for any action, according to Neal.