Antelope Valley Not Divided in Remap Plan : Redistricting: Panel cites ‘community of interest’ in high desert. Proposal must go to state Supreme Court for approval.

One of California’s seven new congressional districts would incorporate the fast-growing Antelope Valley as well as much of the Santa Clarita Valley under a remapping plan unveiled Friday by a bipartisan commission appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson.

The recommendations by the commission--appointed by Wilson in August--now go to the state Supreme Court, which last month agreed to take over the once-a-decade task of redrawing legislative and congressional districts after the governor and state legislators failed to agree on a plan.

Wilson endorsed the plan in general Friday but also suggested some changes.

Palmdale and Lancaster civic and political leaders have repeatedly complained that the Antelope Valley was split among four districts in the previous redistricting.

But the Antelope Valley was placed into a single district by Wilson’s panel because “a community of interest was thought to exist in that high desert area,” said Martin Fricks, the commission’s administrator.

The panel also proposed reconfiguring the district of Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Los Angeles). Sources close to the governor said the eight-term congressman could be forced to run in a new Republican-leaning district in the West San Fernando Valley or against another Democratic incumbent for a Beverly Hills-based seat.

Beilenson could not be reached for comment Friday.

Other highlights of the commission proposal include merging the West Los Angeles-San Fernando Valley Assembly districts of Democrats Burt Margolin and Terry B. Friedman, both of Los Angeles, into a single district and pushing the state Senate districts of Democrats Herschel Rosenthal of Los Angeles and Gary K. Hart of Santa Barbara out of the Valley.

Under the commission’s plan, Rosenthal would find his West Los Angeles home in the same district as another incumbent, veteran Republican Robert G. Beverly of Manhattan Beach.

On Friday, Wilson made public several suggested amendments that will be sent to the Supreme Court, including one that could instead pit Rosenthal against Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) in a district centered on Hollywood.

Otherwise, most San Fernando Valley-area districts would remain pretty much intact, though it appeared that following the panel’s recommendations would reduce Democratic voter registration margins in the new districts.

Overall, the commission proposal would enhance Republican chances to take control of the Legislature and California’s congressional delegation.

The panel created a new congressional district in the Antelope Valley, with a majority of Republican voters. The proposal was welcomed by Assemblyman Phillip D. Wyman (R-Tehachapi)--a prospective candidate for the seat--but he cautioned that the plan was “only one more step in the process.”

Wyman was the only state legislator to testify at the panel’s onepublic hearing.

In an interview Friday, Wyman said he would be interested in running for Congress if the lines proposed by the panel are incorporated into the court-approved plan. Another potential candidate could be state Sen. Don Rogers (R-Bakersfield), sources close to Wilson said.

The panel’s proposal stands in contrast to those drawn by congressional Democrats that would have divided the Antelope Valley into three new districts.

In the West San Fernando Valley, the commission proposed welding together Republican-leaning portions of Beilenson’s current district along with parts of Simi Valley Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly’s district to the west. The new district would cover Tarzana, Woodland Hills and Canoga Park. Democrats would have only a slight voter registration edge with 45.7% compared with the GOP’s 44.8%. Currently Beilenson’s district is 53.8% Democratic.

The Legislature is required to redraw the lines to reflect population shifts reported in the 1990 Census, and lawmakers are expected to seek election to the new seats next year.

After Wilson vetoed plans sent to him by the Legislature, he asked the state Supreme Court to intervene. The high court appointed a special panel of retired state judges to review reapportionment proposals and make a recommendation to the court by Nov. 29.

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