The California Citizens Redistricting Commission has released draft maps for new California legislative districts, available for download at wedrawthelines.ca.gov.  The four maps outline proposed new Congressional, Assembly, State Senate and Board of Equalization Districts. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the proposed redistricting could have deep implications for both Democratic and Republican legislators.  According to the Times, "The map virtually ensures that California, often irrelevant in the national battle for control of Congress because of decades of maps drawn to protect incumbents, will become a battleground in the 2012 campaign" (click here to read the full article).  Several districts in Los Angeles County are set to change substantially, including parts of the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Norwalk, and parts of the eastern areas of the county. 

The independent, nonpartisan Citizens Redistricting Commission has held a series of public meetings statewide in recent months, collecting input and suggestions for district boundaries from Californians.  According to their website, "The Commission is now soliciting public comment on the draft districts. Testimony can be submitted online to [email protected], by mail to the Citizens Redistricting Commission, 901 P Street, Suite 154-A, Sacramento, CA 95814 or by FAX at 916-651-5711. The Commission will be holding 11 public input hearings in June on the draft maps. The hearing schedule and the draft maps can be found at the Commission’s website at www.wedrawthelines.ca.gov."  The meeting schedule includes several events in Los Angeles County between June 16-18. 

For those interested in creating their own district maps, the interactive site ReDrawCA allows users to draw maps, comment on significant locations in their communities, and access community data.