AB 1761: Citizens Redistricting Commission: governance.

Existing provisions of the California Constitution, enacted by the Voters FIRST Act, an initiative approved by the electors in the November 4, 2008, statewide general election, require the Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw district lines for the election of Members of the State Senate, Assembly, Congress, and the State Board of Equalization.

Existing statutory provisions added by the Voters FIRST Act establish the process for the selection and governance of the commission. Existing law defines day for purposes of those statutory provisions as a calendar day, except that if the final day of a period within which an act is to be performed is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday, the period is extended to the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.

This bill would revise that definition to clarify that a calendar day is calculated as the period of elapsed time that begins at midnight and ends 24 hours later at the next midnight.

Existing law requires the commission to select, by a specified voting process, one of their members to serve as the chair, and one to serve as vice chair. Existing law prohibits the chair and vice chair from being of the same political party.

This bill would, notwithstanding any other law, authorize the commission to rotate the members serving as chair and vice chair as part of the process described above.

The Voters FIRST Act authorizes the Legislature to amend its provisions to further the acts purposes upon a ²/₃ vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements.

This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.