Los Angeles City Council pressured to redraw district lines by state AG: report

One of California’s highest ranking officials wants the Los Angeles City Council to agree to redraw the boundaries of city’s 15 districts, according to a report.

The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office drafted a legal document that, if signed by the council, would require the city to redistrict in time for the 2026 primary election.

As of Thursday, there was no word whether the council intended to sign the agreement.

The document, according to The Times, would require the members to remove personal bias as to their favorability for reelection before approving the new district lines.

The push for new boundaries comes just three years after the council previously approved new district lines. That agreement, signed in 2021, was a 10-year deal, but according to reporting from The Times, those lines haven’t provided sufficient representation for Latinos.

Discussions between Bonta’s office and L.A. city officials have included a new, Latino-focused district in the San Fernando Valley.

The reported push to redraw districts comes after a 2022 scandal rocked the L.A. City Council when an audio recording leaked of council members making racist remarks.

That scandal led to the resignation of then-council president Nury Martinez. Kevin De León, who was also on the recording, remains in office.