Redistricting commission sets public-input schedule

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Citizens Redistricting Commission, which is charged with drawing new congressional and legislative districts, will hold dozens of public input meetings in communities across California, the body announced Tuesday.

The meetings are intended to allow the public to provide input into how districts for the state’s 53 members of Congress, 40 state senators and 80 state Assembly members are redrawn. The first will occur April 9 in Redding. Several Los Angeles-area gatherings are planned for late April, early May and mid-June. More may be added later. The full schedule is available here.

The 14-member commission is an independent body that will draw political boundaries for the first time in California history. State legislators used to draw these districts -- configuring lines to protect themselves and other incumbents -- until voters took the power away from them by ballot measure.

Using recently released census data, the commission hopes to release a first draft of redrawn districts by June 10, and to finalize maps by Aug. 15.

-- Seema Mehta in Los Angeles