1 Subject: FW: [External] ICGC: Agenda #4 Communications (Riverside city redistricting timeline) Attachments: 6-1-22 Letter Riverside City Redistricting_Brown_Black Redistrictng Alliance.pdf From: Maribel Nunez <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 1:12 PM
To: Cervantes, Clarissa <[email protected]>; Conder, Chuck <[email protected]>; Perry, Jim <[email protected]>
Cc: Ana Gonzalez <[email protected]>; Lupe Camacho <[email protected]>; Lujano, Miguel <[email protected]>
Subject: [External] ICGC: Agenda #4 Communications (Riverside city redistricting timeline) CAUTION: This email is originated from OUTSIDE of City of Riverside and was not sent by any City Officials or City Staff. Do not click on links or open attachments unless you are expecting the email and know that the content is safe. If you suspect this is a phishing or malicious email, please contact the helpdesk.
Riverside City Redistricting Timeline
Re: Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee Agenda: #4 Communications
Riverside City Staff update: Riverside City timeline update Dear Inclusiveness, CommunityEngagement, and GovernmentalProcesses Committee Chair: Cervantes
Vice Chair: Perry
Member: Conder
My name is Maribel Nunez, Riverside City Ward 1 Resident and part of the Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance. I am writing a letter for today’s Inclusiveness, CommunityEngagement, and GovernmentalProcesses Committee meeting 6/1/22
COMMUNICATIONS 4 Items for future Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes Committee
.
When looking at city redistricting, local governments are required to review their current district boundaries and redistrict based on new population figures from the census. Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance wants to ensure that districts are drawn in a way that will keep communities together. Keeping communities whole, in a single political district, increases communities’ abilit y to influence or even determine who gets elected to represent that district. This also makes it more likely that representatives will listen to the community and be responsive to its needs. According to the League of Women Voters California, While there are rules for state‐ level redistricting in California, similar crit eria to guide decision‐making, and requirements to ensure a transparent and open public process, do not necessarily apply at the local level. See the table of California Local Redistricting Rules (pdf link:
https://lwvc.org/sites/default/files/downloads/LWVC%20FairMaps%20California%20Local%20Redistricting%2 2 0Toolkit%2010‐1‐20.pdf ) It is referenced in Section VII below to check the rules for each form of local government.
On behalf of the Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance, we want to ensure the city prioritizes the Voting Rights Act and Fair Maps Act. According to the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), All government entities must include required data, related to citizen voting age population (CVAP), and other relevant information required by state and federal law as part of city’s district maps, in order to consider that data in preparing the draft maps. The Fair and Inclusive Redistricting for Municipalities and Political Subdivisions Act (FAIR MAPS Act), requires the city to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), and, to the extent practicable, keep communities of interest together. The new Riverside City redistricting maps should not only contain total Census 2020 population data, population percentages and CVAP data included.
According to Census 2020, in the City of Riverside there are 314, 998 people who live in the City of Riverside. There are 53.7 % of Hispanic/Latino, 6.2% African Americans, and 7% are Asian American Pacific Islanders. Out of the Citizen voting age population, there are 241, 620 people, which are 50.60% Hispanic/Latino, 6.32% African American and 7.99% are African American. We should have at least three to four Latino Majority Wards out of the seven Riverside wards. We would like Racially polarized Voting Analysis to be taken into consideration when redrawing the ward lines. Voting Rights Act (VRA) to provide a statutory remedy for racial vote dilution. At the heart of vote dilution law is the concept of racially polarized voting. Voting is polarized when (1) the political preferences of majority‐race and minority‐race voters diverge substantially and the racial majority votes with enough cohesion to usually defeat the minority’s candidates of choice. We call these the “preference polarization” and “voting power” requirements. Since the Supreme Court’s 1986 decision in Thornburg v Gingles, plaintiffs have had to satisfy both conditions and propose a remedial district at the outset of their case. Only if this threshold Gingles showing has been made does the court apply the liability standard prescribed by statute: whether the “totality of circumstances” indicates that plaintiff‐race voters “have less opportunity than other members of the electorate to participate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”
Community Engagement Plan feedback:
Thank you:
In looking at Riverside City Redistricting Timeline chart, Thank you for hosting A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS IN EVERY WARD.
Additional Recommendations:
We need more than one public hearing prior to the drawing of map session and have multiple public hearings throughout the city with options for evening and weekend for working people to attend. Plus add a Spanish public hearing. The City of Victorville did it.
Thank you for your time,
Maribel Nunez, Co‐Convener
Ana Gonzalez, Co‐Convener
Brown and Black Redistricting Alliance
Riverside City Redistricting Timeline
Re: Inclusiveness, Community Engagement, and Governmental Processes CommitteeAgenda: #4 CommunicationsRiverside City Staff update: Riverside City timeline update Dear Inclusiveness, CommunityEngagement, and GovernmentalProcesses Committee Chair: CervantesVice Chair: PerryMember: Conder
MynameisMaribelNunez,RiversideCityWard 1 Resident andpartoftheBrownandBlackRedistrictingAlliance.I amwritinga letterfortoday’s Inclusiveness,CommunityEngagement,and GovernmentalProcesses Committee meeting 6/1/22 COMMUNICATIONS4 Items for future Inclusiveness,CommunityEngagement, andGovernmental Processes Committee.Whenlookingat cityredistricting, local governments are requiredto review theircurrentdistrictboundariesandredistrictbasedonnewpopulationfiguresfromthecensus.BrownandBlackRedistrictingAlliancewants to ensure that districtsare drawnin a way that willkeepcommunitiestogether. Keepingcommunitieswhole,in a singlepolitical district,increasescommunities’abilitytoinfluenceorevendeterminewhogetselectedtorepresentthatdistrict.Thisalsomakes it more likelythat representatives willlisten to thecommunityandberesponsive to itsneeds.AccordingtotheLeagueofWomenVoters California,Whiletherearerulesfor state-level redistrictingin California,similarcriteriato guidedecision-making, andrequirementstoensureatransparent andopenpublicprocess,donotnecessarilyapplyatthelocal level. See the table of California Local Redistricting Rules (pdf link:https://lwvc.org/sites/default/files/downloads/LWVC%20FairMaps%20California%20Local%20Redistricting%20Toolkit%2010-1-20.pdf) It isreferencedinSectionVIIbelowtochecktherulesfor each form of local government.
OnbehalfoftheBrownandBlackRedistrictingAlliance,wewant toensurethecityprioritizestheVotingRightsActandFairMaps Act.AccordingtotheMexicanAmericanLegalDefenseandEducationalFund(MALDEF),Allgovernment entitiesmust includerequireddata, relatedto 1 citizenvotingage population(CVAP),andotherrelevant informationrequiredby state andfederallawaspartofcity’s districtmaps,inordertoconsiderthat datainpreparingthedraftmaps.TheFairandInclusiveRedistrictingforMunicipalitiesandPoliticalSubdivisionsAct(FAIRMAPSAct),requiresthecitytocomplywiththefederalVotingRightsActof1965(VRA),and,totheextent practicable,keepcommunitiesof interest together. Thenew RiversideCityredistrictingmaps shouldnotonlycontaintotal Census2020populationdata, populationpercentages and CVAP data included.
AccordingtoCensus2020,intheCityofRiversidethereare314,998peoplewholiveintheCityofRiverside.There are 53.7%ofHispanic/Latino, 6.2%AfricanAmericans,and7%areAsianAmericanPacificIslanders. OutoftheCitizenvotingagepopulation,thereare241,620people,whichare 50.60%Hispanic/Latino, 6.32%AfricanAmericanand7.99%are AfricanAmerican.Weshouldhaveat least threetofourLatinoMajorityWardsoutofthesevenRiversidewards.WewouldlikeRaciallypolarizedVotingAnalysistobetakenintoconsiderationwhenredrawingthewardlines.VotingRightsAct(VRA)toprovideastatutoryremedyforracialvotedilution.Attheheartofvotedilutionlawistheconceptofraciallypolarizedvoting.Votingispolarizedwhen(1)thepoliticalpreferencesofmajority-raceandminority-racevoters divergesubstantiallyandtheracialmajorityvoteswithenoughcohesionto usuallydefeat theminority’s candidatesofchoice.Wecallthesethe“preferencepolarization”and“votingpower”requirements.SincetheSupremeCourt’s 1986decisionin Thornburgv Gingles, plaintiffs have hadto satisfy bothconditionsandproposea remedialdistrictat theoutset oftheircase.Onlyif thisthresholdGinglesshowinghasbeenmadedoesthecourtapplytheliabilitystandard prescribedbystatute: whetherthe“totalityofcircumstances”indicatesthat plaintiff-racevoters “have lessopportunitythanothermembers oftheelectoratetoparticipateinthepoliticalprocessandtoelect representatives of their choice.” Community Engagement Plan feedback:
Thank you:In lookingat RiversideCityRedistrictingTimelinechart,ThankyouforhostingA SERIES OFWORKSHOPS IN EVERY WARD.
Additional Recommendations:Weneedmorethanonepublichearingpriortothedrawingofmapsessionandhavemultiplepublichearingsthroughoutthecitywithoptionsforeveningandweekendforworkingpeopleto attend. Plus add a Spanish public hearing. The City of Victorville did it.
Thank you for your time,Maribel Nunez, Co-ConvenerAna Gonzalez, Co-ConvenerBrown and Black Redistricting Alliance 2