LET CALIFORNIA VOTERS PICK THE POLITICIANS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND
San Jose Mercury News Editorial by Republican Assembly Leader, Mike Villines

" As the legislative calendar comes to an end we must not lose sight of the tremendous opportunity before us. It's time for Republicans and Democrats to rise to the occasion and come together to craft bipartisan redistricting reforms to restore the voice of the people to their government.

From the moment we began this year's legislative session, Governor Schwarzenegger and the Republican and Democratic leaders in both houses of the Legislature have publicly stated their desire to pass redistricting reforms this year. The time to act is now, since the Legislature is set to adjourn next month.

Our need to restore a healthy democracy in California is without question. During the last two elections for the Legislature, not one seat in either house changed hands between the parties. "

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" As Assembly Republican leader, I have introduced Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4. This reform measure is the only truly independent reform plan in the Legislature this session....  The commission would be composed of California voters, with no connections to politics or politicians, chosen through a series of random drawings. It would be tasked with drawing new lines that are compact, keep communities together, promote competitive elections and nest two Assembly seats in the boundaries of each Senate seat. This approach would remove politicians and their friends from the process, ending the gerrymandering we have today. "

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" I was pleased to see the Assembly Elections Committee approve the Assembly Republican redistricting plan back in June and believe we must continue our work. Our progress on addressing this important issue must not stop there. We must work together, Republicans and Democrats, to craft a meaningful redistricting reform measure this year. "

With only a few weeks left in the legislative year, I hope we will seize the moment and pass redistricting reform that takes the power to draw district lines out of the hands of politicians.

MORE on Assembly Constiutional Amendment 4 - Press Release by Assemblyman Mike Villines

Villines Introduces ‘Truly Independent’ Redistricting Reform Measure
Independent citizens’ commission, not politicians, would draw district lines

SACRAMENTO – Saying it’s time for action to fix California’s broken redistricting system, Assembly Republican Leader Mike Villines, of Clovis today unveiled amendments to his redistricting reform measure, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 4, that would create an independent citizens’ commission comprised of randomly-selected voters to draw district lines.

“While politicians talk a good game about redistricting reform, Californians are still waiting for action on an honest plan to create a truly independent redistricting system,” Villines said. “This measure is the only proposal that will end the conflict-of-interest of politicians determining their own district boundaries.”

ACA 4 will create an 11-member independent citizens’ commission charged with drawing the district lines for the State Legislature, Board of Equalization and California’s congressional delegation. Commissioners will be required to draw compact, contiguous districts that keep communities of interest together and maximize political competition whenever possible. New Senate districts drawn under this plan must be composed of two complete Assembly districts, commonly referred to as ‘nesting’.

Membership in the commission will be comprised of 4 Republicans, 4 Democrats, and 3 members not affiliated with either party, representing California’s gender, ethnic, and geographic diversity, and both urban and rural populations. Commissioners will be selected from a random pool of voters drawn by the 58 county Registrars of Voters and the Secretary of State. Current or past lobbyists, candidates, elected officials, government workers, or political party officials may not serve, nor may their family members.

In making today’s announcement, Villines was joined on a conference call by Dan Schnur and Fred Keeley, the bipartisan leaders of Voices of Reform, a nonpartisan project of the Commonwealth Club of California that has been a leading advocate for independent redistricting reform. The measure also received praise from California Common Cause and the League of Women Voters of California.

"We applaud Leader Villines for providing leadership on this issue and his willingness to work with the Legislature and groups like VoR to achieve a single proposal everyone can support,” said Schnur and Keeley. “Key Democratic and Republican legislators from both houses have now introduced serious redistricting reform proposals, all of which seek to dramatically improve the independence of California's redistricting process. In order for voters to have a real chance to make an informed choice on redistricting on the February ballot, the most important next step is for all of these proposals to be considered in the June 12 Assembly Elections Committee Hearing."

“We commend Mr. Villines for introducing his redistricting proposal and taking us another step closer to reforming redistricting in California,” said Kathay Feng of California Common Cause and Jackie Jacobberger of the League of Women Voters of California. “With a redistricting proposal from a member of each party caucus in each house, the table is now set for the final push towards a legislative solution on redistricting which can win the trust and confidence of voters.”

Villines called upon Democrats to hold a hearing on his ACA 4 at the same time the Assembly Elections, Redistricting and Constitutional Amendments Committee considers Speaker Núñez’s redistricting proposal, Assembly Constitutional Amendment 1, on June 12.

“I believe the people of California can do a much more honest job of drawing political boundaries that truly reflect the diverse interests of our state than partisan insiders or Sacramento politicians,” Villines said. “If we have faith in citizens to trust them with matters of life and death as members of a jury, then we should have faith in them to oversee and approve the drawing of our political lines.”

View details here.

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