In the months following the leaked racist audio recording of Los Angeles City council members, a renewed focus has been put on overhauling the redistricting process for the city of Los Angeles.
Currently, the LA City Council has the final approval for the city’s 15 districts. New lines are drawn every 10 years when new Census data is released.
The conversation the disgraced council members were having was about redistricting and has caused state legislators to step in.
State Sen. María Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, joined “Inside the Issues” host Alex Cohen to discuss her new legislation Senate Bill 52.
SB 52 would require cities in California with a population of 2.5 million or more to establish an independent redistricting commission. Los Angeles is the only city in California with a population that meets that threshold.
“The LA City Council has been scandal-plagued for over a decade; whether it was an FBI investigation or these maneuvers to preserve power,” Durazo said. “...We are challenging this Council to provide honest and transparent service to the people of Los Angeles.”
The lawmaker adds establishing an independent redistricting commission will ensure all districts are established fairly without being influenced by bias of the council members.
The City Council voted 11-2 to oppose SB 52. Council president Paul Krekorian argued at City Hall that since Los Angeles is a charter city and it should be up to the people of Los Angeles to decide how redistricting is done.
“It is absolutely inappropriate for the state legislature to meddle in the election affairs of a charter city. We have a City Charter, which the people of Los Angeles have enacted, and that governs our elections and that governs what we do,” Krekorian said.
A city charter functions similarly to a constitution. It’s a document that establishes the laws of a city voted on by the people of the city. Any big changes require the people to vote, which brings in legal issues for SB 52.
Council members argue the state is overstepping by trying to govern Los Angeles instead of leaving it up to the voters.
“When the city council recently voted to oppose the bill, it’s clear several city council members still need to read it,” Durazo said.
Durazo said she has consulted with legal experts who have reassured her the bill is allowable, under the basis that because the state provides the City Council with billions of dollars of funds for critical issues like infrastructure and homelessness, the council members function as local stewards for the state, so it’s crucial the funds are distributed equally.
“Without an independent redistricting process, then we’re not sure if [funds are] being distributed in a fair way, so there is a state interest,” Durazo said. “There is legal precedent that grants the state the ability for the state to legislate on local matters when there are these statewide concerns.”
Kevin De León was one of the two council members who voted to not oppose SB 52. The council member is the lone council member who was caught on the leaked racist audio recording still on the Council. He has stayed on despite many public calls for him to resign.
“I’m not in an alliance with Kevin De León or anyone on the City Council for that matter,” Durazo said. “…What matters to me is that we have an independent redistricting process, and it’s clear that the City Council on its own will not take this to an independent redistricting process.”
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