PROP 27 - ELIMINATE STATE COMMISION ON REDISTRICTING

PROP 27 IN BASIC TERMS:

A competing initiative to PROP 20. If passed, this measure eliminates the 14 person California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) created in 2008 by Prop 11. This commission was created to re-draw the boundaries of the CA Legislative districts (CA State Assemble & CA State Senate Seats) after each census.

A Little Civics refresher:

- The State legislature consists of 2 houses - The state Assembly (80 Members) & The State Senate (40 Members).

PROP 27 A LITTLE BACKGROUND:

- We voted for the creation of the 14 person California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) in 2008 via PROP 11.

- Per Prop 11, this commission is supposed to draw the boundary lines for California state legislative districts and Board of Equalization districts after each census.

- This commission is to be comprised of Democrats, Republicans, and representatives of neither party.

- The commission is picked by government auditors from a pool of applicants.

For more info on Prop 11 go to http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_11_%282008%29

ARGUMENT FOR A YES ON 27:

- The 14 member commission created under Prop 11 are unelected, chosen by government auditors, and are empowered to have "great power to decide who represents us." Concern is they should be elected by voters and accountable to voters.

- State legislative redistricting will be done as it used to be, by the members of the California State Legislature.

- Imposes limit on amount Legislature may spend, for redistricting.

- Provides voters with the authority to reject district boundary maps approved by the Legislature

- "Requires populations of all districts for the same office to be exactly the same."

- Prop 27 "mandates 1 person, 1 vote districts. Current law allows population variations of as much as 1,000,000 people per district!"

- Proposition 27 allows voters to have the final say if they object to a specific redistricting plan by subjecting that plan to veto referendum.

ARGUMENT FOR A NO ON 27:

- Some say this Prop is a political tactic to defeat Proposition 20, which adds the responsibility for redrawing U.S. Congressional districts to the newly created California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC). Under Prop 11 CCRC was given the responsibility for redrawing the CA Legislative districts (CA State Assemble & CA State Senate Seats)

- Some say this prop is just the political machine trying to take power back from the people & protect the power of political incumbents, since the redistricting would be back in the hand of state legislators.

"We need to be able to hold our elected officials accountable when they don’t do the job we elected them to do. One way to ensure that politicians remain accountable to voters is by taking the power to draw political district lines from the very politicians who stand to personally benefit from the outcome." - John Kabateck, executive director of the California branch of the National Federation of Independent Business.

- The assertions Prop 27 will save money is "misleading."

- The assertions Prop 27 make about voters being able to subject any legislative redistricting plan to the veto referendum process is misleading. Voters can already do that.

WEIRDNESS LOOPHOLE:

Proposition 20 and Proposition 27 each a "poison pill" provision.

If both "pass", the proposition that receives the highest vote is the law that will go into effect.

PROP 27 SUMMARY:

Y - On Prop 27 means - State legislative redistricting will return to being completed by the members of the California State Legislature. It eliminates the 14 person California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) created in 2008 by Prop 11.

N - On Prop 27 means - the 14 person California Citizens Redistricting Commission (CCRC) created in 2008 by Prop 11 will continue to be responsible for re-draw the boundaries of the CA Legislative districts (CA State Assemble & CA State Senate Seats) after each census.

To learn more about from 27 go to http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_27,_Elimination_of_Citizen_Redistricting_Commission_%282010%29