Latinos Threaten Lawsuit Against Valley Secession

Worried that Latinos could lose political clout in a new San Fernando Valley city, an advocacy group Wednesday said it will pursue a voting-rights lawsuit against the region’s secession plan unless proposed council districts are redrawn.

Under the map prepared by the state commission studying secession, Latinos would comprise a majority of the population in five of 14 council districts in a Valley city. They also would be the biggest ethnic group in four other districts.

But Alan Clayton of the California Latino Redistricting Coalition told the Local Agency Formation Commission that the crucial test is voter registration, not population.

Clayton contends that LAFCO’s map violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act by concentrating Latino voters in two northeast Valley districts.

“I believe you have two districts that can elect a Latino representative, one district that is questionable, and that’s it,” Clayton said. “Your map disenfranchises the Latino community.”

As a remedy, Clayton and others suggested a slight revision in the map to more evenly distribute Latino voters across the districts, creating at least three council seats that Latinos would likely win.

If the changes are not made, Clayton warned the commissioners, his group will petition the U.S. Justice Department to file a lawsuit against the districting plan.

Such a suit would seek a court order imposing the changes sought by the redistricting coalition, which has not taken a stand on secession itself.

Jeff Brain, president of the secession group Valley VOTE, urged LAFCO board members to make the revisions.

“Why would you put everything we’ve done at risk over this issue?” Brain asked. “This is such a minor issue.”

Several LAFCO members, including Los Angeles Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski and county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, promised to review the matter.

Meanwhile, LAFCO warned that it was falling behind schedule as new material streams in from various camps in the secession debates.

Larry Calemine, LAFCO’s executive officer, said the nine-member board will vote May 22--a week later than originally scheduled--on whether to put Valley secession on the November ballot.

LAFCO also is considering secession proposals for Hollywood and the harbor area.

The commission plans to release its final report on the harbor’s financial viability as a city later this week, with its Hollywood analysis to follow.

Hollywood secessionists again took the podium Wednesday to address what they called “the defining issue” of their movement: the 45-foot-high Hollywood sign.

Secessionists and the city of Los Angeles are battling over which municipality would own the 1923 landmark if Hollywood wins cityhood.

“It has become very emotional,” said Gene La Pietra, a Hollywood nightclub owner leading the breakaway campaign.

He noted that the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce maintains the sign.

“That sign belongs to Hollywood,” La Pietra said. “The other day one of its letters got loose and it was repaired within 24 hours. That’s what happens in a small community.”