Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring San Luis Obispo County to form an independent redistricting commission.
This new 11-member commission, made up of local residents, will oversee the drawing of voting district boundaries. The idea is to prevent political influence– or gerrymandering– from tainting the redistricting process, which happens every 10 years.
Last year, the county settled a lawsuit after accusations that the 2021 district map unfairly favored Republicans.
Second District Supervisor Bruce Gibson said the new law is a remedy.
“The public reaction to that was strong, so it became clear to the community that we needed a way of seeing those district boundaries drawn fairly, objectively and in conformance with state law,” Gibson said.
Gibson voted in support of the new bill earlier this year.
“I think this is going to be a really important step in protecting local democracy here in San Luis Obispo County,” Gibson said. “I am excited and very grateful for the result here and look forward to seeing this implemented in the next cycle.”
To prevent conflicts of interest, applicants cannot be elected officials, candidates, campaign donors or have ties that could influence the process. The County Clerk’s office will randomly select five members, who will then choose six additional members to complete the commission.
