The panel from the Auditor’s office started with more than 45-hundred applicants early this summer. In stages, they’ve whittled it down to 120. State Auditor Elaine Howle acknowledges there were concerns that the initial pool of applicants was largely white and male – but she says the list of 120 is diverse:
“It has representatives from all different groups throughout the state of California. So we’ve looked at it from a geographic perspective, male/female, certainly ethnicity, income levels.”
Howle says nearly a third of those on the list are Hispanic, roughly 12 percent are black, 14 percent are Asian-American or Pacific Islander and 36 percent are white. The panel will interview all 120 and cut the list in half, then submit it to lawmakers by October. The final group will include 20 Republicans, 20 Democrats and 20 not affiliated with the two major parties. The 14-member commission will draw the district lines for legislative and and Board of Equalization seats.
