"Not A Power Grab"

Can members of the Los Angeles City Council be trusted to ignore their own political interests and hand over power to an independent redistricting commission?

Perhaps. With the cloud of scandal still hanging over City Hall and overwhelming public support for an independent commission that would draw City Council and school board district boundaries without political interference, city leaders are under pressure to put good government policy over personal agendas.

But a bill being carried by Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) is a valuable backstop if the City Council can’t — or won’t — fully relinquish power. Senate Bill 52 would establish an independent citizen redistricting commission for the city, modeled on L.A. County’s and California’s independent commissions.

To read the full report from the Los Angeles Times, click here.