by Bill Kisliuk
Pasadena Sun
A legal challenge to newly redrawn state Senate maps has failed, as the California Supreme Court unanimously rejected a Republican effort to declare the maps improper. As a result, the senate map drawn last year by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission will go into effect for the 2012 election, along with new state Assembly and congressional maps.
"The Court's unanimous decision is a great victory for the people of California. … We believe that the use of the commission's maps for the upcoming elections is important for the stability of the electoral process in California," Peter Yao, the chair of the commission, said in a statement. "It is regrettable that these challenges, based on partisan self-interest, have cost precious taxpayer dollars to defend the work of the people's Commission."
The state Senate map did not change much for residents of Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena. The new map keeps the cities intact as part of the same Senate district, which is represented by state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge).
