Redistricting

A newly released study from the Public Policy Institute of California finds little reason to think that Proposition 11 would have much of an effect in terms of creating more moderate state legislators through more moderately drawn legislative districts.

The report, which also studied how politicians acted after the legislature drew districts largely favored to the incumbent party in 2001, found that lawmakers acted consistently regardless of their district.

"Redistricting did not make California legislators more partisan. They were partisan to begin with," wrote Eric McGhee, a PPIC research fellow, in regard to the report.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission is looking to clarify the definition of a "principal officer" on a campaign committee and could adopt a new regulation next month.

Commission Executive Director Roman Porter said the proposed regulation would add to an existing regulation that requires committees to include the identity of the principal officer, or the board of people with primary responsibility for the committee, when they file campaign paperwork.

The forces supporting and opposing the redistricting measure, Proposition 11, used polls, rankings and recent rhetoric to make the case for their side this week.

The "Yes on 11" campaign pointed to statements by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Wednesday that a donation from a prison guards union to a campaign committee fund controlled by State Senate Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) made the case for why redistricting reform is needed.

U.S. Sen. Barbara BoxerDemocratic U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer of California has added her name to those opposing Proposition 11, a redistricting initiative.

A press release from the anti-11 group Citizens for Accountability quoted Boxer as saying in a letter to the group that she was concerned that the measure would put too much power in the hands of too few unaccountable people.

After weeks of seeing big donations go toward a Nov. 4 ballot initiative that would reform California's methods for drawing political district, the anti-Proposition 11 side is raising some money of its own.

A group called Citizens for Accountability that opposes Proposition 11 reported receiving $25,000 Wednesday from Members Voice Of The State Building Trades, a union group.

The group opposing Proposition 11, which would reform how political districts are drawn in California, has pointed out that most of the large donors to the pro-11 side are wealthy developers and businessman.

A press release from Paul Hefner, a spokesman for the No on Prop. 11 group Citizens for Accountability, pointed out that among the top contributors to the measure are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Los Angeles developer Rick Caruso and oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens.

The ballot measure that will decide whether California openly allows gay marriage will be known as Proposition 8.

That and the 10 other ballot measures state voters will see in November received their number designations from the California Secretary of State's office Friday, after the period to qualify or place a measure for the general election ballot ended Thursday.

Taxpayer advocate Ted Costa blasted Wednesday a redistricting initiative that made the November ballot this week, saying it has too many loopholes to be effective.

Costa, CEO of Sacramento-based group People's Advocate, said a provision in the initiative would allow a commission created to redraw political boundaries the latitude to disregard certain criteria if a particular geographic area met a certain designation.

Since 1911, the number of seats in the U.S. House has been set by Congress, basically at 435. The calculation results in one congressman representing roughly 600,000 of us who constitute a congressional district. Every 10 years, based on the census, seats might move in response to population shifts from one state to another. This is important.

In addition to its 80 state Assembly and 40 state Senate districts, California currently has 53 congressional districts. The map looks like it was drawn on an Etch-a-Sketch during an earthquake.