The LA Redistricting Commission released its proposed City Council District map today and there is already a good amount of outrage going on. The Commission redraws the map every ten years to split the city's 15 districts evenly among the population and to ensure minority representation. As the LA Times explains, "The draft maps were drawn by commissioners in a series of closed-door meetings by subcommittees who did not have to comply with the state’s open meeting law." Here's some of what's on today's proposed maps :
-- Koreatown, despite lobbying, is still split among four districts.
-- CD4, currently repped by Tom LaBonge, creeps northwest into Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Encino, and Lake Balboa, taking over CD5 territory.
-- Meanwhile, CD5, currently repped by Paul Koretz, takes CD4 territory around Miracle Mile, Hancock Park, and Larchmont Village. LaBonge released a statement saying "This draft redistricting map weakens the political representation of the Santa Monica Mountains, fractures the community of Hollywood among three Council districts and dissolves the historic core of Council District 4 – the greater Wilshire area."
-- Despite lobbying, the San Fernando Valley did not get a sixth full-Valley district.
-- The eastern part of Westchester is out of CD11 (currently Bill Rosendahl's) and into CD8 (currently Bernard Parks's), while LAX stays in CD11. Rosendahl has already sent out a call to arms to constituents about the matter. Even Parks's chief of staff tells the LAT that separating Westchester from the airport makes no sense.
-- CD8 loses a big chunk of Leimert Park to CD10 (Herb Wesson), but keeps the Baldwin Hills neighborhood where Parks lives.
-- CD9 (currently repped by Jan Perry) loses a northern spur that included large parts of Downtown, but still has South Park.
-- A more unified Downtown (north of South Park) then falls into CD14 (currently Jose Huizar).
-- Watts moves from CD15 (currently repped by new guy Joe Buscaino and covering Harbor Gateway and the South Bay) to CD9.
If you want to find out where your house stands, the LAT has very handy before and after map overlays showing where districts currently lie and where the proposed new maps would put things.
· L.A. City Council redistricting, before and after [LAT]
· Redistricting map shakes up L.A. political landscape [LAT]
· 5 of LA's Craziest City Council District Gerrymanders [Curbed LA]
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