Press Release
Valley Voters Organized Toward Empowerment
14622 Ventura Blvd. #424, Sherman Oaks, CA. 91403
August 20, 2008 Contact: Joe Vitti -President
at javittisr@cs.com www.valleyvote.org
The Valley VOTE Board of Directors has overwhelming approved the following motion:
Valley VOTE supports Proposition 11 the "Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute," also known as the California "Voters First" initiative, which will appear on the November 2008 General Election ballot.
Partisan gridlock in Sacramento has prevented lawmakers from dealing effectively with many state issues since legislators draw their own district boundaries resulting in a 99% reelection rate in California legislative races. Proposition 11 will change the way legislative districts are drawn. It will create a 14 member independent citizen commission based on strict nonpartisan rules.
Discussion
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF PROPOSITION 11:
1. It is time that the citizens select their politicians instead of the politicians selecting their voters. Currently, the carefully drawn legislative districts protect incumbent politicians and their political parties, resulting in a 99% reelection rate in California legislative races. Guaranteed reelection is not the best incentive for elected officials to be accountable and responsive to voter needs. The ballot initiative, if approved by voters, would take away the Legislature's power to draw its own political maps and give the job to an independent, balanced, bipartisan citizens commission made up of 14 members, whom the state auditor would randomly select from registered voters who apply for the positions.
Redistricting occurs in California every 10 years. Maps were last drawn in 2001. To prepare for the 2011 redistricting, we need to put reforms in place now. If we don't, we risk government gridlock through 2022.
2. Proposition 11 will help stop the partisan gridlock that has paralyzed our state government by making the state legislators more accountable to their constituents than to their party leaders. This gridlock prevents our state lawmakers from effectively addressing our most pressing issues such as the state budget, health care, education, the impending water crisis, and the environment.
3. Proposition 11 will create a 14-member independent citizen commission to redraw state legislative district lines based on strict nonpartisan rules. Unlike the current process, Proposition 11 will ensure that the redistricting process is open and transparent and will respect existing city and county boundaries and communities. It will exclude individuals with obvious conflicts of interest, including elected officials and their staff, from serving on the Commission. The Commission will include five Republicans, five Democrats and four members not associated with either party.
4. Proposition 11 has broad-based bipartisan support throughout the state including the League of Women Voters of California, AARP, Governor Schwarzenegger, former Democratic State Controller Steve Westly, former Governor Gray Davis, the California Chamber of Commerce, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the ACLU of Southern California, Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, the National Federation of Independent Business - California, California Forward, California Common Cause, California Church IMPACT, and local community and business groups throughout the state. And support continues to grow.
See also www.YesProp11.org for additional details.
ARGUMENTS OPPOSED TO PROPOSITION 11:
1. Some Democrats in the California legislature, as well as some Democratic Congressional representatives oppose Proposition 11. Their reasoning is that by drawing new legislative boundaries based on geography will adversely impact ethnic and racial communities that have been able to elect legislators from their own communities. However, historic evidence shows that this argument is not supported by the facts, according to Tony Quinn, coeditor of the California Target Book, a nonpartisan analysis of California legislative and congressional elections. Quinn concludes that, judging by what has occurred by previous changes to legislative boundaries, the number of minority-held seats would grow.
2. By changing the boundaries of legislative districts, incumbent legislators are in jeopardy of losing their seats.
Proposition 11 will appear on the ballot as:
REDISTRICTING. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE.Changes authority for establishing state office boundaries from elected representatives to commission. Establishes multilevel process to select commissioners from registered voter pool. Commission composed of Democrats, Republicans, and representatives of neither party.
Fiscal Impact: Potential increase in state redistricting costs once every ten years due to two entities performing redistricting. Any increase in costs probably would not be significant.
The California Secretary of State's Summary:
Proposition 11 : Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Proponents: Kathay Feng, Jeannine English and David Fleming
Creates 14-member redistricting commission responsible for drawing new district lines for State Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts. Requires State Auditor to randomly select commission members from voter applicant pool to create a commission with five members from each of the two largest political parties, and four members unaffiliated with either political party. Requires nine votes to approve final district maps. Establishes standards for drawing new lines, including respecting the geographic integrity of neighborhoods and encouraging geographic compactness. Permits State Legislature to draw lines for congressional districts subject to these standards. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Probably no significant increase in state redistricting costs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Valley VOTE Mission Statement
Valley VOTE, a diverse coalition of San Fernando Valley residents, business people, educators, community activists, and organizations, is committed to exploring and fostering the implementation of programs that empower the people of the San Fernando Valley and the City of Los Angeles, to improve local governance, education and public participation on policy matters.
Go to www.valleyvote.org for information about Valley VOTE
If you would like to be removed from our distribution list please send an Email to javittisr@cs.com. We apologize if you receive more than one notice of this Press Release.
Click here to return to the Press Releases page