Court Cases

Connerly v. State of California

This action was dismissed with prejudice on December 21, 2012. The  ruling may be found by using the case number on the court document  search page.

Case Number 34-2011-80000966-CU-WM-GDS
Court document search page

Amicus Brief 10/4/2012

Order postponing hearing 5/25/2012

Reply in support of demurrer 5/24/2012

Opposition to demurrer 5/18/2012

Demurrer 12/16/2011

Compliant & Petition 9/28/2012

George Radanovich, et al. v. Debra Bowen, et al.

Order to dismiss 2/9/2012

Vandermost v. Bowen (S198387)

Leagel.com 1/30/2012 Vandermost v. Bowen: The opinion of the Court.

Opinion Published (PDF) 1/27/2012

Letter to the Court regarding USDOJ Preclearance 1/19/2012

California Channel Video: California Supreme Court Special Session Oral Arguments
Notes: oral argument was held on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., in San Francisco. 

Case Summary

Case Docket

Documents Submitted
Updated to include documents submitted through January 9, 2012

California Supreme Court

Press Release (PDF) 1/27/2012

Calendar Notice - Special Session January 10, 2012

Press release 12/9/2011

Upload or View Documents

News Coverage November 2012

California Secretary of State - Proposition 40 Official Results

KCET 11/7/2012 California is More Blue Because of Republican-Backed Prop 20

Academic

Redistricting California: An Evaluation of the Citizens Commission Final Plans
February 2012
California Journal of Politics and Policy [paywall]

Redistricting California: An Evaluation of the Citizens Commission Final Plans 9/13/2011
Vladimir Kogan University of California, San Diego and Eric McGhee Public Policy Institute of California
Scheduled to be published in the California Journal of Politics and Policy in January 2012

All About Redistricting - California
Professor Justin Levitt's guide to drawing the electoral lines
Loyola Law School, Los Angeles

Proposition 40

Articles concerning Proposition 40 have been moved to a separate page. Click Here.

Ballot Initiative Qualification

A referendum has qualified for the ballot that, if passed, would re-open the maps of California State Senate districts to examination and revision. If approved by voters, it is most likely that districts will be left as they are or that there might be slight boundary adjustments to a handful of districts.

At least 504,160 verified signatures were required to qualify for the ballot. 

The random sample projected 513,024 valid signatures.
511,457 signatures were verified by the deadline on February 24, 2012.

The referendum will appear on the November 2012 general election ballot.
It one of eleven now qualified for that ballot.
It will appear on the ballot as Proposition 40.

Full verification count by county (PDF)

From the California Secretary of State web site:
Redistricting. State Senate Districts. Referendum.
Summary Date: 08/26/11 | Qualified: 02/24/12 | Signatures Required: 504,760
Proponent: Julie Vandermost c/o Charles H. Bell, Jr. (916) 442-7757
State Senate districts are revised every ten years following the federal census. This year, the voter-approved California Citizens Redistricting Commission revised the boundaries of the 40 Senate districts. This referendum petition, if signed by the required number of registered voters and filed with the Secretary of State, will: (1) Place the revised State Senate boundaries on the ballot and prevent them from taking effect unless approved by the voters at the next statewide election; and (2) Require court-appointed officials to set interim boundaries for use in the next statewide election. (11-0028)

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News Coverage October 2012

Sacramento Bee 10/26/2012 California redistricting may have blocked Dem hopes for majority

Los Angeles Times 10/24/2012 Proposition 40 fiasco by the numbers

San Francisco Chronicle 10/4/2012 California Groups Support Citizens Redistricting Commission - Diversity Against Attack by Prop. 209 Author

PR Web 10/4/2012 California Groups Support Citizens Redistricting Commission - Diversity Against Attack by Prop. 209 Author

News Coverage September 2012

California Forward 9/17/2012 Governor signs bill improving California redistricting process

News Coverage August 2012

KCET 8/31/2012 Prop 40 Cheat Sheet: Referendum on Redrawn State Senate Districts

Sacramento Bee 8/11/2012 GOP turning 180-degrees to oppose its redistricting referendum

News Coverage July 2012

Modesto Bee 7/18/2012 Dan Walters: Proposition 40 on redistricting sets up tricky situation in California Senate

KCET 7/16/2012 Backers of Redistricting Prop Will Not Campaign

Sacramento Bee 7/13/2012 GOP ends effort to kill California Senate districts, won't push Prop. 40

Los Angeles Times 7/12/2012 GOP activists behind redistricting referendum drop campaign plans

Orange County Register 7/12/2012 GOP drops effort to overturn Senate districts

Sacramento Bee 7/12/2012 Redistricting measure backers throw in the towel, won't seek passage

KPBS 7/12/2012 California Redistricting Measure Supporters Won’t Actively Campaign

KCET 7/11/2012 Who's Funding Prop 40, the Senate Redistricting Referendum?

News Coverage June 2012

San Diego Reader 6/14/2012 Redistricting Commissioners Cash In With Honor System Pay Reporting

Sacramento Bee 6/13/2012 California redistricting commissioners paid varied amounts for work

KQED 6/13/2012 Redistricting, California Style: Letting the “People” Draw the Maps

Sacramento Bee 6/12/2012 Michael Ward tops redistricting commission in per diem pay

Sacramento Bee 6/9/2012 $10.4 million redistricting tab was triple the projected cost

Sacramento Bee 6/8/2012 Final taxpayer tab to redraw political districts: $10.4 million

examiner.com 6/6/2012 California's redistricting and first Top-Two primary will unseat some incumbents

KPCC 6/5/2012 California politicians face off under shadow of redistricting

KCET 6/5/2012 Citizens Redistricting Commission Defunded, Will Cease Operations

News Coverage May 2012

City Journal 5/23/2012 Redistricting Wars

MSNBC 5/22/2012 In Calif. redistricting experiment, how much better off will Democrats be?

News Coverage April 2012

Politico 4/19/12 California, the mother of all redistrictings

Sacramento Bee 4/16/2012 Bill proposes changes for California's new redistricting process

Lassen County News 4/6/2012 New California district maps complete

News Coverage March 2012

Sacramento Bee 3/24/2012 Connerly argues California illegally considers race, gender for redistricting panel

Sacramento Bee 3/23/2012 State discriminates in choosing redistricting panel, suit argues

Sacramento Bee 3/11/2012 Dan Walters: Redistricting, top-two primary change California's election game

Wall Street Journal 3/1/2012 And Dreier Makes Seven

News Coverage February 2012

Redondo Beach Patch 2/26/2012 Redistricting Referendum Qualifies for Ballot

Los Angeles Times 2/25/2012 Repeal of new state Senate voting districts on Nov. 6 ballot

Sacramento Bee 2/25/2012 Challenge to state Senate districts qualifies for California ballot

San Francisco Chronicle 2/25/2012 Referendum to overturn redistricting makes ballot

Sacramento Bee 2/24/2012 Capitol Alert: California Senate maps will go before voters in November

Wall Street Journal 2/21/2012 New Districts Upend California Politics

San Mateo Daily Journal 2/17/2012 Redistricting changes political landscape

Huffington Post 2/15/2012 Why the California Redistricting Commission Has Prevailed in the Courts

New York Times 2/14/2012 California Set to Send Many New Faces to Washington

The Hill 2/14/2012 Emotional redistricting for California lawmakers on both sides of the aisle

NBC San Diego 2/13/2012 Stop the Fight! Redistricting Commission Vanquishes Final Challenger

San Jose Mercury News 2/12/2012 Redistricting by citizens' panel sparks competitive California congressional races

Los Angeles Times 2/10/2012 Judge rejects GOP suit aimed at redistricting maps

Sacramento Bee 2/10/2011 Capitol Alert: Judge dismisses last lawsuit challenging California districts

Los Angeles Times 2/10/2012 Federal judge dismisses final redistricting lawsuit

San Francisco Chronicle 2/10/2012 (AP) Federal judge dismisses GOP's political map suit

Central Valley Business Times 2/10/2012 Final Republican challenge to redistricting loses in court

Martinez News-Gazette 2/8/2012 Congressional District Maps Reveal A Divided Martinez

CalBuzz 2/3/2012 Crack GOP Shyster Team Lectures State Supremes

NBC San Diego 2/2/2012 California GOP Stew of Regret

Politics365 2/2/2012 Reality Check Hits GOP in Cali Redistricting Fight

Los Angeles Times 2/1/2012 Ruling on redistricting a wake-up call for California GOP

News Coverage January 2012

FlashReport 1/31/2012 Our Lawless Supreme Court

KCET 1/30/2012 Commentary - California Supreme Court Strikes a Blow to Republicans in 2012 Races

Huffington Post Los Angeles 1/30/2012 Republicans Lose Big on Redistricting Gamble, Brown Moves Forward

Metropolitan News-Enterprise 1/30/2012 High Court Upholds Use of Commission’s Senate Map This Year

Huffington Post Politics 1/30/2012 California Supreme Court Chooses Citizen Redistricting Commission Senate Maps

California Progress Report 1/30/2012 On Redistricting: The Court Gets It Half Right

San Francisco Chronicle 1/28/2012 Court rejects bid to hold up new voting districts

Los Angeles Times 1/28/2012 California high court backs panel's new state Senate districts

Press-Enterprise 1/28/2012 Supreme Court: Keep commission’s Senate lines for 2012

San Diego Union Tribune 1/28/2012 California court OKs redrawn political boundaries

Sacramento Bee 1/28/2012 Supreme Court validation of maps could give Democrats two-thirds Senate majority

Associated Press 1/27/2012 Democrats hope for crucial two-thirds majority in Senate after court ruling on political maps

Pasadena Sun 1/27/2012 Legal challenge to redistricting fails

Sacramento Bee 1/27/2012 California Supreme Court denies challenge of Senate maps

San Jose Mercury News 1/27/2012 State high court allows new political maps; Decision likely means that Blakeslee won't run

Los Angeles Times 1/27/2012 Supreme Court decision on Senate districts blasted by Republicans

Los Angeles Times 1/27/2012 New Senate districts to remain, California Supreme Court says

San Francisco Business Times 1/27/2012 Top California court rejects GOP redistricting challenge

Wall Street Journal 1/27/2012 California Court Rejects GOP Challenge to Maps

San Francisco Chronicle 1/27/2012 Court upholds newly drawn state Senate districts

San Jose Mercury News 1/27/2012 California Supreme Court rejects GOP suit aimed at overturning new state Senate maps

New York Times 1/23/2012 The Caucus Blog: Redistricting and Increased Partisanship Fuel House Departures

Sacramento Bee 1/18/2012 U.S. Justice Department upholds Senate maps

Huffington Post 1/18/2012 Vince Barabba: One More Victory for Democracy as Citizens Redistricting Commission Clears Another Hurdle

Los Angeles Times 1/17/2012 Justice Department signs off on California redistricting

Sacramento Bee 1/17/2012 Capitol Alert: Federal government approves California's new political districts

Los Angeles Times 1/13/2012 More House seats in California up for grabs
Rep. Jerry Lewis is the latest California congressman to depart as a new redistricting process spurs political upheaval.

Los Angeles Times 1/10/2012 California Supreme Court wrestles with Senate district maps

San Francisco Chronicle 1/10/2012 GOP urges high court to dump new voter maps

KPCC 1/10/2012 Another round in the redistricting fight

KQED 1/10/2012 Capital Notes - The Supreme Question: Which Senate Districts for 2012?

Courthouse News Service 1/10/2012 Republicans Plead for Action in California Redistricting Fight

KQED 1/10/2012 Newsfix: Today's California Supreme Court Redistricting Case Explained

KPCC 1/10/12 Another round in the redistricting fight

PublicCEO.com 1/10/2012 CalChannel to air redistricting oral arguments at 9:00AM

San Jose Mercury-News 1/10/2012 Supreme Court to weigh GOP claims on Senate maps

San Francisco Chronicle 1/10/2012 Supreme Court to weigh GOP claims on Senate maps

Sacramento Bee 1/10/2012 AM Alert: California Supreme Court takes up redistricting fight

California Progress Report 1/9/2012 Reply to comment: The GOP Cries Foul (Again)

Capitol Weekly 1/5/2012 Redistricting flap: ProPublica story flawed, Republican strategy questioned

Voice of OC 1/4/2012 Redistricting Chairman Disputes ProPublica's Little Saigon Logic

Eureka Times-Standard 1/2/2012 Letter: California Citizens Redistricting Commission

Reason 1/2/2012 Rampant Corruption in California Redistricting

NBC Los Angeles 1/1/2012 More Redistricting Nonsense

Stockton Record 1/1/2012 Was political district panel swayed?

Eureka Times Standard 1/1/2012 Letter: Speak out: Register and vote