Fresno, CA — California Common Cause, the Fresno Metro Black Chamber of Commerce, the Council on American-Islmaic Relations (CAIR) Sacramento Valley/ Central California, Communities for a New California (CNC) Education Fund, Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP), the Fresno-Madera-Tulare-Kings Central Labor Council and the Central Valley Partnership, and Jakara Movement have publicly called for independent redistricting in Fresno County, in a letter to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. 

The letter highlights shortcomings in the current redistricting process, managed by the Board of Supervisors themselves. Despite countless hours of community testimony, a Fresno County map originally drawn in 1991 has barely been changed for the third redistricting cycle in a row despite significant changes in the demographics and citizen voting age population of the county. 

The letter also outlines specific concerns around the proposed map under review, which was drafted by a partisan attorney and strategist with direct ties to three Fresno County Supervisors. The lack of an independent redistricting commission has opened the door to political interference hindering the community-driven process and has allowed the Board of Supervisors to choose a map that serves the status quo and insulates the incumbency of those already in power.

The counties of Los Angeles and San Diego, the cities of San Diego, Long Beach, Sacramento, Oakland, and many others, as well as the State of California all use independent redistricting commissions. Combined, approximately 17.5 million Californians now reside in a local jurisdiction that uses an independent commission. California Common Cause and Fresno-based organizations call for Fresno County to join this trend and rebuild confidence and trust in local politics. 

To read the letter, click here.