Opinion ID: 844224
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Charge and selection of the Commission

Text: California Constitution, article XXI, section 2 establishes the Commission and defines how it is to be constituted. The constitutional provision creates a body that excludes career politicians, reflects citizen participation at every level, and is expected to rise above partisanship. Accordingly, subdivision (b) of section 2 charges the Commission with “conduct[ing] an open and transparent process enabling full public consideration of and comment on the drawing of district lines; . . . draw[ing] district lines according to the redistricting criteria specified in this article; and . . . conduct[ing] themselves with integrity and fairness.” Section 2, subdivision (c)(1) of article XXI further provides that “[t]he selection process is designed to produce a commission that is independent from legislative influence and reasonably representative of this State’s diversity.” The Commission has 14 members. Five must be registered with the largest political party in California (based on voter registration), five must be registered with the second largest political party in California, and four must be individuals who are not registered with either of the two largest political parties. (Cal. Const., art. XXI, § 2, subd. (c)(2).) Commission members are ineligible to hold elective public office at the federal, state, county or city level for a period of 10 years, beginning from the date of their appointment to the Commission (id., art. XXI, § 2, subd. (c)(6)), and, for a five-year period beginning from their appointment, are ineligible to hold appointive federal, state, or local public office, or to serve as paid staff for, or as a paid consultant to, the State Board of Equalization, Congress, the Legislature, or any individual legislator, or to register as a federal, state or local lobbyist in California. (Ibid.) Government Code section 8250 et seq., enacted by the voters in 2008 as part of Proposition 11, governs the process for selecting commissioners. Government Code 13 section 825216 sets forth how the commissioners are to be selected. The State Auditor, an office that is independent of the legislative and executive branches (§ 8546), initiates an application process, open to all registered voters, that is designed to “promote[] a diverse and qualified applicant pool.” (§ 8252, subd. (a)(1).) According to the Commission’s Final Report on Redistricting, August 15, 2011 (Final Report), the State Auditor “undertook a significant outreach process throughout the state utilizing a wide variety of communications media, including mainstream and ethnic media, social media, a website, and staff assigned to respond to all telephone calls and e-mails.” (Final Rep., at p. 2, available on the Commission’s Web site, [as of Jan. 27, 2012].) Section 8252, subdivision (a)(2) authorizes the State Auditor to remove from the pool those applicants with a conflict of interest. Subdivisions (a)(2)(A) and (a)(2) (B) of section 8252 identify the relationships that can create a conflict of interest. Section 8252 also authorizes the State Auditor to establish an “Applicant Review Panel” to screen the applicants. (§ 8252, subd. (b).) The panel consists of three independent auditors randomly drawn from a pool comprised of “all auditors employed by the state and licensed by the California Board of Accountancy at the time of the drawing” (ibid.); one of the three must be registered with the largest political party in California, one must be registered with the second largest political party in California, and the third must not be not registered with either of those two parties. (Ibid.) Prospective panel members are to be screened for conflicts of interest under the same set of standards that are applied to applicants. (§ 8252, subd. (a)(2).) Once the panel is constituted, the State Auditor provides it with the applications of prospective commission members. (§ 8252, subd. (c).) 16 Subsequent unlabeled statutory references in this part (pt. II) and in part III are to the Government Code. 14 The panel then selects “60 of the most qualified applicants,” 20 of whom must be registered with the largest political party; 20 must be registered with the second largest political party; and the final 20 must not be registered with either of those two parties. (§ 8252, subd. (d).) Selection is to be made on the basis of “relevant analytical skills, ability to be impartial, and appreciation for California’s diverse demographics and geography.” (Ibid.) The panel presents its pool of recommended applicants to the Secretary of the Senate and to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and those officers, in turn, permit the President pro Tempore of the Senate, the Minority Floor Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Minority Floor Leader of the Assembly each to strike up to two applicants from each subpool of 20, for a total of eight strikes per subpool. (§ 8252, subd. (e).) The State Auditor then randomly draws eight names from the remaining pool of applicants: three from the subpool of applicants registered with the largest political party, three from the subpool registered with the second largest political party, and two from the remaining subpool. These eight individuals serve on the Commission. (§ 8252, subd. (f).) They, in turn, review the remaining pool of applicants and appoint a final six to complete the Commission: two are to be drawn from the subpool of those registered with the largest political party, two are to be drawn from the subpool of those registered with the second largest political party, and two are to be drawn from the remaining subpool. The six appointees must be approved by at least five affirmative votes of the original eight commissioners; those five votes must include the votes of two Commissioners registered with the largest political party, two Commissioners registered with the second largest political party, and one from a Commissioner not registered with either party. (§ 8252, subd. (g).) The six appointees are to be “chosen to ensure the commission reflects this state’s diversity, including, but not limited to, racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity.” (Ibid.) The Commission, however, need not comply with any specific ratio or formula. (Ibid.) 15