Posted on 12/01/2004 7:35:39 AM PST by StoneColdGOP
SACRAMENTO -- Supporters of a ballot measure to take the redistricting process away from the Legislature received permission Tuesday to start circulating petitions -- for the second time.
The measure is sponsored by Ted Costa, the political activist who first launched the recall drive against Gov. Gray Davis.
"This is the other half of the recall," Costa said. "We changed the executive branch. Now we must change the legislative branch. They're entrenched and their first allegiance is to the special interests who give them money, and not the voters."
The measure would create a panel of three retired judges, selected by legislative leaders, who would redraw the district lines for the state Senate, Assembly, congressional and Board of Equalization districts every 10 years after the U.S. Census.
The intent is to address criticisms that when legislators approve new districts, they create safe seats that protect incumbents and decrease voter choice.
In this year's legislative election, all incumbents retained their seats and the balance of power between the parties was unchanged.
Costa first received permission from Secretary of State Kevin Shelley's office to begin circulating the measure in May. But Costa said he was running out of time to collect the signatures so he filed a request in October to start over, and got the OK on Tuesday.
Now, Costa and his group, People's Advocate, need to collect 598,105 signatures of registered voters by April 29.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also talked about the need for a new redistricting process, but he has not yet taken a position on Costa's measure, a spokesman said.
Go Costa! We need this to save our sorry state....
Yeeeessss! We need to get rid of these horrid gerrymandered districts.
Bump
This is the SINGLE most important issue coming to voters. We MUST pass this and get redistricting reform. I understand Arnold, not unaware of the immobility among the party makeup of the legislature, is a supporter of this effort as well. We'll need his support to get this passed.
The #2 issue is forever banning driver's licenses for illegals here in CA. Support that effort, currently in petition (now downloadable), here.
BUMP!
Hopefully, people with common sense will get behind this idea.
Anyone who supports this will need to get out and collect signatures. This will need to be a grassroots, populist movement, just like Prop. 13, Prop. 187 and the recall.
The establishment won't back it, and the big money to pay for a paid signature drivemay or may not appear.
The people who love this state and want to save it will have to work it themselves.
A disgraceful work of "art". Every campaign piece that goes out on this issue out to have a map of that district to illustrate the madness.
I don't care if redistricting endangers safe Republican incumbents, either. They ought to have to know what it's like to have to really fight, too.
BTTT.
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