Dear Neighbors, There has been a lot of media attention lately on the new legislative districts. For the State Senate, the district lines will ultimately go to the voters for approval in November. It seems that this would be a good time to briefly explain how the new districts were drawn and how it may change your representation in the State Senate. The Redistricting Process To keep up with changes and movements of populations, the district lines of elected offices are redrawn every 10 years based on new data compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. The process of redrawing district lines in California went through a historic change in the last three years. In November 2008, California voters approved Proposition 11-- the Voters FIRST Act. Proposition 11 moved the function of redistricting from the Legislature and the Governor to a newly created 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission). In 2010, the voters also approved Proposition 20 to give the Commission the authority to draw Congressional district boundaries. The Commission is made up of citizens and is responsible for drawing the district lines for the State Senate, State Assembly, the Board of Equalization, and California's Congressional seats. The process for redrawing local office district lines such as city council members and county supervisors was unchanged by Proposition 11 or Proposition 20. In January, 2010, Californians began applying for positions to serve on this new public Commission. The State Auditor was charged with screening candidates and for nearly a year, the State Auditor went through a public process of reviewing applications and interviewing potential commissioners. On December 16, 2010, the 14-member Commission was fully formed. The Commission first met on February 23, 2011 and then held dozens of public meetings throughout the state, taking testimony from citizens and organizations, as well as from demographic experts and academics. After many different versions, on August 15, 2011, the Commission approved their final district maps. However, the Senate maps were then challenged in court. On January 27, 2012, the Commission's maps were upheld by the courts. However, an organization calling itself Fairness and Accountability in Redistricting (FAIR) filed more than half a million voter signatures and qualified a referendum for the November election. If the referendum passes, by receiving more than 50% of the votes, the Commission's Senate lines will be deemed ratified by the voters and will be used until the next redistricting cycle is completed in 2021. If the referendum fails, the California Supreme Court will then assume jurisdiction and appoint Special Masters to draw new lines that will be used starting in 2014 until the next redistricting cycle is completed in 2021. The New Seventh Senate District Nonetheless, for purposes of the 2012 elections, the Commission's new district maps will be used. Let me explain how the new Senate district lines may change your representation in the State Senate. Currently, the Seventh Senate District (SD 7) includes Alamo, Antioch, Bay Point, Blackhawk, Brentwood, Byron, Clayton, Clyde, Concord, Danville, Discovery Bay, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Knightsen, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pacheco, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek, and a portion of Richmond. Essentially, SD 7 includes most of Contra Costa County. The new SD 7 will not include El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Martinez, Pinole, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, and Rodeo. Added to the district will be Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. Martinez and Pleasant Hill will move from SD 7 to the new Third Senate District (SD 3) and El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Pinole, Richmond, and Rodeo will move from SD 7 to the new Ninth Senate District (SD 9). Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) currently represents the area that will become SD 3 and Senator Lois Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) currently represents the area that will become SD 9. My office will be working closely in the months ahead with the offices of Senators Wolk and Hancock as we move toward 2013 and the new district lines. All of our offices have strong working relationships and we will strive for a seamless and smooth transition next year. Through the end of November my office continues to serve the entire Seventh Senate District including those communities that will be in SD 3 or SD 9 beginning in December. If we can be of any service to you please contact me or my office at senator.desaulnier@senate.ca.gov or by phone at (925) 942-6082. Sincerely, Mark DeSaulnier
Senate District Seven Featured In February's E-Newsletter- Transportation Update - Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore & Highway 4 Widening Project
- Filing Your Tax Returns Online
- Mobile District Office Hours - March 3rd in Orinda
Transportation Update - Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore & Highway 4 Widening ProjectTwo major ongoing highway projects in Contra Costa County continue to make significant progress. Both projects are expected to bring congestion relief to thousands of East Bay commuters and increase the flow of goods and services throughout our region. Last November, Caldecott Tunnel crews broke through the mountain from both sides allowing the eastern and western portals of the tunnel to meet for the first time. Since the breakthrough, crews have been working around the clock to install the inner lining of the tunnel that will form the interior walls. This work will continue on the western side of the project for the next several months. A joint effort of the California Department of Transportation, Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Federal Highway Administration, and Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the fourth bore project is expected to be completed in early 2014. East County residents will notice a number of changes along Highway 4 as the widening project moves forward. This month crews began paving a section of eastbound lanes near the Century Boulevard bridge. Additionally, in the next few months, lanes on California Avenue at Loveridge Road will be shifted to the north to accommodate construction of the new southbound Loveridge Road bridge. The Highway 4 widening project will increase freeway capacity from four lanes to eight and will include an E-BART extension from the Pittsburg Bay Point station to Hillcrest Avenue in Antioch. Both the widening and E-BART extension are fully funded and are expected to be completed in 2016. For more information about the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore Project, please visit the project website by clicking here. Similarly, you can find more information about the Highway 4 Widening Project and E-BART extension by clicking here.
Filing Your Tax Returns OnlineThis is the time of year that we all see a variety of commercials and online advertisements for tax services. My office is urging Contra Costa residents to consider the IRS Free File program, a free tax preparation service. Through IRS Free File, all taxpayers who made $57,000 or less in 2011 can prepare and file their federal tax returns on-line. IRS Free File provides free access to the industry's top tax preparation software, as well as a comprehensive suite of online tax forms. Participating taxpayers can also have their tax refunds direct deposited in their bank account in as little as 10 days. Responding to a 2009 IRS survey, 96 percent of users said they found Free File easy to use, while 98 percent said they would recommend the program to others. Now in its 10th year, IRS Free File is made possible through a landmark public-private partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, a coalition of leading tax software companies. To learn more about the program, please visit www.freefilealliance.org or www.freefile.irs.gov. Additionally, the State of California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) allows taxpayers to file returns online. FTB's ReadyReturn is a free service that makes filing individual income tax returns faster and easier. FTB uses information the state already has from the last return you filed and from your Form W-2 to pre-fill a California state tax return. If you qualify, your return may be ready and waiting for you. All you need to do is review your return, make any necessary changes, and file your return. To qualify, you must have filed a 2010 California resident return with: - Single or head of household filing status
- Income only from wages
- No more than five dependents
- No credits other than the renter's credit
- Standard deduction
Both the IRS and the FTB use an encrypted connection to protect your privacy. If you do not qualify to file on-line and need hard copies of tax forms, please feel free to contact or visit my office. We currently have a plentiful supply of tax forms. You can phone my office at (925) 942-6082 or stop by our office at 1350 Treat Blvd., Suite 240, Walnut Creek, 94597.
Mobile District Office Hours - March 3rd in OrindaMy office will be holding a Mobile District Office Hours event in Orinda this Saturday, March 3rd, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It will be located at the Orinda Intermediate School, 80 Ivy Drive, Orinda. This is a great way for Orinda area residents to get assistance with any problems they may be having with a state agency or would otherwise like to talk to our office about pending legislation. No appointments are necessary and guests are seen on a first come, first served basis. Please visit my website to find out when a Mobile District Office will be held in your area. Should you have any questions, please contact my Walnut Creek District Office at (925) 942-6082.
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