Proposition 11 creates a new commission made up of citizens.  In 2011, the commission will draw new maps for the state legislature and Board of Equalization.  Before Proposition 11, the state legislature drew these maps.

Why does this matter?  In past redistrictings, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities have been fragmented by district boundaries. For example, in the 2001 redistricting, the San Jose neighborhood of Berryessa was split among four State Assembly districts, even though over half of Berryessa’s population is AAPI.

District boundaries that split AAPI communities like this weaken the political voice of AAPI communities.  When AAPI communities are fragmented, they do not make up a significant portion of any one district.  This diminishes their ability to get their elected representatives to address their needs.

The commission will play an important role in determining whether AAPI communities are again fragmented unfairly in 2011, or instead kept whole. To make sure that the commission takes AAPI communities into account, we need the right people on the commission – individuals who are civic-minded, come from diverse backgrounds, and understand community needs.

Who will be on the commission?  The commission will have 14 members who are selected from people who apply to be on the commission.

The application process is open to the public.  Anyone can apply as long as they meet the minimum requirements to be on the commission, such as being a registered voter and having voted in at least two of the last three statewide general elections (November 2004, November 2006, and November 2008).  There are also some rules that exclude some people from being eligible for commission if they have a so-called conflict of interest, as well as some restrictions on the future political activities of individuals once they are appointed to the commission.

What will the commission do?  The commission will hold public meetings across California to listen to testimony from residents about their communities and neighborhoods.  Based on data it gathers, the commission will draw new district maps for the State Assembly, State Senate, and the Board of Equalization (an elected state tax agency).

The commissioners are paid $300 per day when doing commission business.  The main period of activity for the commission will be from January 2011 to September 2011.  The commissioners can expect to work between 10 to 40 hours per week.

The deadline to apply for the commission is February 12, 2010.  You can find more information about the commission and the application process at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov.

What can you do to help?  You may be the right person for the commission – or you may know someone who is.  The Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) can be a resource for you – we are working with a statewide network of AAPI organizations to help people learn more about the commission and how to apply.

Please note that it should be noted that there are a number of criteria that makes one ineligible to apply – in particular:
Contributed $2,000 or more to any California congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office in any year.

Please check the website for ineligibility: http://www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov/downloads/eligibility_requirements.pdf

In January 2010, the members of the network will hold a series of workshops across the state.

San Francisco Workshop Hosted by Asian Law Caucus

Date:  January 9, 2010, from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm

Location:          Rosenberg Foundation, Conference Room

131 Steuart Street, Suite 650

San Francisco, CA 94105

To RSVP:        Carlo de la Cruz, carlod@asianlawcaucus.org or (415) 896-1701 ext. 121

Alameda County Workshop Hosted by East Bay Asian Voter Education Consortium

Date:                January 10, 2010, from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm

(lunch provided)

Location:          Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Conference Room 2

388 Ninth Street, Oakland, CA 94607

To RSVP:        Emily Chang, chang.emily@sbcglobal.net or (925) 933-6778

San Jose Workshop Hosted by Asian Law Alliance (Santa Clara County)

Date:  January 12, 2010, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Location:          Asian Americans for Community Involvement

2400 Moorpark Avenue, Room 210

San Jose, CA 95128

To RSVP:        Jacquelyn Maruhashi, alacensus@aol.com or (408) 287-9710

To see a list of other workshops and learn more about the network, you can go to www.facebook.com/capafr2011.

To attend a workshop in your area, please RSVP to the contact person listed above.  Or if you have suggestions for people who might be good applicants for the commission, please contact the agency located in your county (see above) or APALC at redistricting@apalc.org.