San Luis Obispo County's district map in 2031 is set to have boundaries overseen not by politicians but by an independent redistricting commission.
On Sept. 22, Gov. Gavin Newsom concluded a years-long redistricting saga in SLO County by signing Senate Bill 977 that establishes an 11 person Citizens Redistricting Commission in the county. The move came after state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) contacted the county to see if the supervisors were interested in seeking state legislation to set up such a body.
"Fair impartial voting districts established independently are a crucial aspect of our democracy," Laird said in a press release. "With Gov. Newsom's signature of Senate Bill 977, the voters of San Luis Obispo can have confidence in the integrity of their elections."
Co-authored by Laird and Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) and sponsored by the SLO County Board of Supervisors, SB 977 will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. It arrives after a period of redistricting uncertainty that began with the controversial Patten map—first drawn by county resident Richard Patten and adopted in December 2021 by the previous Board of Supervisors.
Voter registration data showed that the Patten map gave the Republican Party a wider advantage by dividing more Democrats into two districts and Republicans into three districts.
Minutes after 1st District Supervisor John Peschong, then 4th District Supervisor Lynn Compton, and 5th District Supervisor Debbie Arnold greenlit the map, the SLO County Citizens for Good Government said it intended to sue the county. Alleging gerrymandering, the League of Women Voters of SLO County joined the lawsuit to overturn the map.
In 2023, the new iteration of the Board of Supervisors settled litigation with the two groups, threw the Patten map out, and opted for a map with similar boundaries to the one adopted in 2011.
Now, the Citizens Redistricting Commission will reestablish supervisorial districts every 10 years based on observations from county resident-members who aren't elected officials, lobbyists, candidates, campaign donors, or their close family members. SLO County stands to join Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Fresno, Orange, Kern, and Sacramento counties that have independent redistricting commissions established through legislation.
Some apprehension exists about the new setup. In a previous New Times interview, incoming 5th District Supervisor Heather Moreno, who will replace Debbie Arnold in 2025, said she was concerned about "leaving the decision solely to a group of individuals who are unelected and unanswerable to the people." She added that she envisions a way where the Citizens Redistricting Commission presents several legal map options for elected officials to choose from.
Moreno told New Times she still holds this view.
"With legislation moving forward, I don't know that there is anything further to do once I'm on the board," she said. Δ