Senate Bill 1414, authored by State Senator Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Colton), establishes an independent commission of 14 San Bernardino residents to decide the boundaries for elections.
This decision would remove final authority from any elected officials of the county to draw their own maps.
“Voters should choose their representatives; representatives should not choose their votes,” Reyes said in a press release.
To apply for the board, one must be a registered voter and cannot have held or run for local, state or federal office representing San Bernardino in the eight years following the date of their appointment.
This bill overrides Measure J, which voters passed in 2020. The ordinance created a citizen commission to advise the County Board of Supervisors through the redistricting process every ten years.
Robert Gonzalez, a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 1932, a union who represents thousands of San Bernardino County workers, told KVCR last month that the union asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto the bill. Gonzalez said it would disregard the work of community members and voters in establishing the previous ordinance.
“Nothing could be more transparent than a voter approved process,” Gonzalez said.
Supervisor Dawn Rowe, who is the board’s chairwoman, said the approval of the bill reinforces a troubling pattern of state overreach into local government.
“The Governor’s decision goes directly against the will of our residents,” Rowe said.
The bill would not go into effect until after the next census results in 2030.