Lawsuit filed challenging SLO County’s new district map
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – San Luis Obispo County is officially facing a lawsuit over its proposed redistricting plans.
A nonprofit called San Luis Obispo County Citizens for Good Government filed the lawsuit Thursday. It had previously announced plans to file the suit back in December.
The group claims the district map is a violation of the Fair Maps Act and argues it breaks up communities of interest and favors Republican representation.
The map in question – dubbed the Patten Map – splits the north coast into three separate districts and groups most of San Luis Obispo together.
It also divides Nipomo and Oceano into different boundaries.
The suit notes that no redistricting was required in the first place - because, "the county’s current population is distributed fairly and current boundaries meet state requirements."
The Patten Map was decided following a series of lively and heated public hearings. The board of supervisors narrowed their choices between it and the second choice - virtually no redistricting at all. The proposal to keep previous district lines mostly intact was endorsed by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce.
The map was drafted by Arroyo Grande resident Richard Patten. It was officially selected as the chosen map during a board of supervisors meeting at the end of November.
