Click above or on this link to watch the video.
In this special video report, Voice of OC examines a watershed moment in Anaheim politics, with residents and activists confronting the city council majority over a voting districts map that could change the city’s electoral landscape.
Last month, hundreds of people protested at a city council meeting and shut it down, after the council majority unexpectedly rejected a map that would for the first time level the playing field to some degree for the city’s Latino residents.
Things had been going smoothly, with the so-called “people’s map” – receiving widespread support from residents, retired judges who oversaw the mapmaking process, and city council members.
But at a November council meeting, the council majority voted exclude the only Latino majority district in the new map from the next election.
Activists were outraged.
Then, in December, Councilman Jordan Brandman proposed scrapping the people’s map altogether and picking different district lines. He and the council majority argued that the map doesn’t have enough Latino-majority districts.
It only caused more anger. Protesters vowed to return by the hundreds at the next meeting – and that’s exactly what they did.
The debate is expected to continue to play out at tonight’s City Council meeting. In the latest development, the city manager rejected a request by Mayor Tom Tait to discuss reviving the “People’s Map.”
The meeting starts at 5 p.m. at Anaheim City Hall.
Click above or on this link to watch a Voice of OC video about the controversy.
For more details on the debate, check out the stories below (most recent listed first):
Anaheim City Manager Denies Mayor’s Request to Discuss ‘People’s Map’ (Jan. 11)
Jordan Brandman Quits Congressional Race (Dec. 17)
Protesters Shut Down Anaheim Council Meeting (Dec. 16)
Anaheim City Council Stalls Transition to District Elections (Dec. 9)
How Much Does This Man Scare Anaheim’s City Council Majority? (Dec. 8)
Latino Groups Accuse Anaheim City Council of ‘Intentional Discrimination’ (Dec. 4)
OC Dems Condemn Anaheim Councilman for Latino District Vote (Nov. 24)
Anaheim Excludes Latino Majority District From 2016 Election (Nov. 18)
Anaheim Council Adopts ‘The People’s Map’ (Oct. 23)
Residents Cheer Anaheim’s Proposed Voting Districts (Sept. 18)
Adam Elmahrek covers Anaheim for Voice of OC. You can contact him at aelmahrek@voiceofoc.org.
Nick Gerda covers county government for Voice of OC and helps produce videos and other visual content. You can contact him at ngerda@voiceofoc.org.