Reform of the process for drawing legislative and congressional district lines is a high priority for the League. See the main Redistricting page.

On this page:

• Prospects for a Redistricting Reform Measure (2006)
• Seeking Reform through a Legislative Proposal (2005)

Prospects for a Redistricting Reform Measure (2006)

September 6 -- The legislative session ended on August 31 without further action on SCA 3. Legislative leaders were willing to hold last-minute negotiations and move bills with amazing speed on all manner of other issues. But they were unwilling to put their energy and influence behind redistricting reform. Read the press release we issued.

August 29 -- We sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Nunez and Minority Leader Plescia, urging their support for passing SCA 3 before this legislative session ended on August 31. See also related press release.

August 19 -- The Senate passed SCA 3 (Lowenthal) on August 16! Read about it and then contact the Assembly. See also August 14 and August 16 Calls to Action.

The League has been working with a broad coalition on a reform measure to be put before California voters in November 2006. SCA 3 by Senators Alan Lowenthal and Roy Ashburn embodies the elements of reform (see below) and is gathering bipartisan legislative support as ongoing discussions lead to a strengthened version of the bill.

• Read a fact sheet about SCA 3 as amended on August 10.
• The Commonwealth Club's Voices of Reform Project (VoR) is an educational effort that fosters probing discussions of key governance reform issues and encourages state opinion leaders to actively pursue reform. The VoR Web site has a wealth of analysis and references, including news clippings

  A VoR coalition's recommendations on redistricting reform were sent to the Governor and leaders of the four legislative party caucuses in July. Support for the effort to place redistricting reform before the voters now has come from major California political figures.

• Attend the redistricting Town Hall Meeting to be held in Long Beach August 10 at 7:00 p.m. (See a flyer.) A San Jose town hall meeting is planned for September 21.

Seeking Reform through a Legislative Proposal (2005)

The League opposed Proposition 77 on the November 8, 2005 ballot.

We believed the proposal was flawed and would not have achieved real reform. See our press release and position paper, issued in conjunction with MALDEF (the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and the APALC (Asian Pacific American Legal Center).

But we intend to keep fighting for real Redistricting Reform. Read our press release issued after the election.

The League challenged Governor Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders to work together on legislation to put redistricting reform before the voters.
See our Call to Action of August 16.
Read more background information in our prior Calls to Action: April 30 and April 2, 2005.

The League praised the announcement of a new proposal from legislative leaders at a press conference June 28. We hoped the newly amended version of SCA 3 (Lowenthal and Ashburn) would signal the beginning of real negotiations between the governor and legislators of both parties.

The bill needed improvement, however, before it could be endorsed by the League. We presented our comments and concerns in a legislative hearing the next day.

Read LWVC President Jackie Jacobberger's commentary published in the San Francisco Chronicle on May 4, 2005.

We also testified at an informational hearing held by the special-session Assembly District Representation Committee April 14.

We have supported two similar legislative proposals for redistricting by an independent commission rather than by the legislature: the original version of SCA 3, and ACAX1 5 (Canciamilla and Richman).

Read our letter to Assembly Member Kevin McCarthy, stating our support for his bill ACAX1 3 if it is amended to remove a provision requiring redistricting immediately following adoption of the measure by California voters.

See also our January 2005 letter to the Governor (PDF file) on the issue. A similar letter was sent to all members of the California legislature.