WHEREAS, the League of United Latin American Citizens is this nation's oldest and largest Latino organization, founded in Corpus Christi, Texas on February 24, 1929, and

WHEREAS, LULAC throughout its history has committed itself to the principal that Hispanic Americans have equal access to opportunities in employment, education, housing and health care, and

WHEREAS, LULAC has supported the principles of equal opportunities for economic development, political influence, civil rights and the general welfare for all Latinos in the United States, and

WHEREAS, redistricting is the process by which census data is used to redraw the lines and boundaries of electoral districts within a state. This process affects districts at all levels of government, from local school boards, wards and city councils to state legislatures and the United States House of Representatives, and

WHEREAS, the redistricting process will determine if your community can elect representatives of its choice to sit on your local school board, city council, state legislature and Congress, and

WHEREAS, LULAC and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and MALDEF have already called upon the State of Arizona to reconstitute immediately the membership of its Commission on Redistricting to ensure that Latinos, Arizona's largest minority population, are represented on this critical body, and

WHEREAS, the complete absence of Latinos, as well as African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans on this Commission which will be responsible for redrawing the state's congressional and legislative districts, is a serious setback in efforts to ensure that the voting rights of all citizens in Arizona are protected and,

WHEREAS, the establishment of the Commission on Redistricting as provided by Proposition 106 was presumably intended to insure an equitable and open process. The establishment of the Commission on Redistricting as an all-white voting body undermines the integrity of this process and makes it impossible for the state's large minority populations to believe that the process will be fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2001 National Assembly of the League of United Latin American Citizens convened in Phoenix, Arizona on June 3-9, 2001 continue to monitor the State, County and City Redistricting process that we ask the National Office to file an official complaint with the Department of Justice regarding the makeup of the State Commission and that National LULAC provide support regarding an unfavorable finding from this Commission which will include financial support towards possible litigation.

United States Commission on Civil Rights
Western Regional Office
3660 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 810
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 894-3437

Submitted by:
Mary L. Fimbres, Arizona LULAC State Director
Teri Martinez, LULAC State VP for Women
Richard G. Fimbres, LULAC National VP for the Far West
Ana Valenzuela Estrada, President Council 1001

Approved this 9th day of June, 2001.

Rick Dovalina
LULAC National President