Governor Signs Reyes Bill Bringing Independent Redistricting to San Bernardino County
Governor Signs Reyes Bill Bringing Independent Redistricting to San Bernardino County
SB 1414 puts residents—not elected officials—in charge of drawing supervisorial district lines
SACRAMENTO, CA — San Bernardino County residents will have the final say over the process used to draw their supervisorial districts under legislation authored by Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton) and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Senate Bill 1414 establishes an independent redistricting commission for San Bernardino County beginning with the redistricting process following the 2030 Census. The new commission will have final authority to draw the boundaries of the County’s five supervisorial districts, removing that power from the elected officials whose districts are being drawn.
“Voters should choose their representatives; representatives should not choose their voters,” said Senator Reyes. “Today, we are putting the power to draw San Bernardino County’s supervisorial districts where it belongs—with the people. This is a tremendous victory for good government and for every resident who believes they deserve a meaningful voice in how they are represented.
“SB 1414 creates an independent, transparent and community-driven process where residents can participate and elected officials no longer have the final say over their own district boundaries,” Reyes continued. “I am grateful to Governor Newsom for recognizing that independence matters. The people of San Bernardino County deserve a process they can trust.”
“We thank Senator Eloise Gómez Reyes for her leadership in authoring SB 1414 and Governor Newsom for signing it into law," said Dora Rose, Deputy Director of the League of Women Voters of California. "Elected officials should not control the boundaries that shape their own political futures. SB 1414 ends that built-in conflict by placing final map-drawing authority with an independent citizens commission. San Bernardino County residents will now have a process designed to serve voters, not the officeholders whose districts are at stake.”
“Voters should choose their representatives, not the other way around. With Governor Newsom’s signature on SB 1414, San Bernardino County residents will finally have an independent process for drawing the districts that shape their representation,” said Pedro Hernandez, Legal and Policy Director at California Common Cause. “Independent redistricting is already working in communities across California, and San Bernardino County residents deserve the same opportunity. This law puts that power where it belongs: with communities, not incumbent politicians. We thank Senator Reyes, Governor Newsom, and the Inland Empire advocates who worked to make independent redistricting a reality.”
The new law builds on a years-long conversation in San Bernardino County about voter authority, accountability, and the structure of county government.
In 2020, voters considered two competing changes to the County Charter. Measure J, placed on the ballot by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, made several changes to county government, including requiring the creation of a redistricting commission. Voters approved the measure, but the resulting seven-member commission is advisory: it can recommend maps, while the Board of Supervisors retains final authority over supervisorial district boundaries.
That same year, voters approved the citizen-initiated Measure K, which sought to limit supervisors to one four-year term and reduce their compensation. The measure was subsequently challenged in court, and the Legislature later enacted changes to state law affecting county supervisor term limits and compensation.
Together, those debates reflected a broader question that has persisted in San Bernardino County: how much authority should residents have over the rules governing their representation?
SB 1414 provides a clear answer when it comes to redistricting.
“A voice without authority is still only advice,” Reyes said. “San Bernardino County residents deserve more than the opportunity to make recommendations about their representation. They deserve a process in which the people drawing the lines are independent of the elected officials who stand to be affected by them. That is what SB 1414 delivers.”
Under the new law, commissioners will be selected through an independent application and screening process designed to limit political influence and produce a commission reflective of San Bernardino County’s geographic, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and occupational diversity. Commissioners will be required to conduct their work publicly, with hearings and opportunities for residents to participate throughout the redistricting process.
Independent redistricting commissions are already used to draw supervisorial districts in large California counties, like Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego. State law will also require independent commissions in several additional counties beginning with the redistricting process following the 2030 Census.
For Reyes, the Governor’s signature represents the culmination of an effort to ensure that one of California’s largest and most diverse counties has a redistricting process in which residents—not incumbent elected officials—hold final authority.
“This is a win for the people of San Bernardino County and for good government,” Reyes said. “It is not about one party, one politician or one election. It is about creating a fair, transparent process that people can trust for generations to come. I am grateful to Governor Newsom for signing SB 1414 and to the advocates and residents who stood with us to make independent redistricting a reality.”
SB 1414 was signed by Governor Newsom on September 30 and will take effect ahead of the redistricting process following the 2030 Census.
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