Redistricting, term limits on table

Paper: Bakersfield Californian, The (CA)

Title: Redistricting, term limits on table

Date: June 8, 2007

SACRAMENTO -- Touching off a fierce battle over issues near and dear to the hearts of politicians, the state Senate Thursday easily approved two major political reform proposals, one by Sen. Roy Ashburn, R-Bakersfield.

Both of the ballot proposals would take the politically sensitive issue of drawing legislative districts out of the hands of politicians and turn it over to an independent citizens' commission.

Critics say it is a conflict of interest for politicians to do the drawing because they can include enough voters of their own parties to ensure their re-elections.

"Having legislators draw our own boundaries is self-serving and wrong," Ashburn said in discussing the bills.

Ashburn's measure is more sweeping. It would also revise legislative term limits -- allowing him and many other lawmakers to extend their careers. Further, it would restrict political fundraising during key legislative decision-making periods and delay lawmakers' pay if they don't pass the state budget on time.

Backed by the Senate's top leader, Don Perata, D-Oakland, they now move to the Assembly, where they will run head-on into rival reform measures pushed by powerful Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D- Los Angeles, and Assembly Republicans.

Overlaying the maze of legislative proposals are political reform initiatives being circulated for signatures to get on the ballot at the state's next election, Feb. 5.

Nunez is backing one initiative to reform redistricting and another to change term limits.

Independently, a redistricting measure is being pushed by Sacramento-based People's Advocate. It is actively being supported by Bakersfield political consultant Mark Abernathy and U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. Abernathy has sharply criticized Ashburn's proposal because it would allow Ashburn, who normally would be termed out of office in 2010, to run for a third four-year term after that.

The issues dividing lawmakers on the term limits reform is the degree of political independence granted to the commission drawing the lines. Nunez favors giving the job to the existing Little Hoover Commission, normally a fiscal watchdog agency. Critics of his plan point out that members of the commission are political appointees.

Ashburn's would have lines drawn by a bipartisan panel selected by retired judges.

All of the term-limit reform measures now on the table would modify the current term limit rules, which restrict senators and Assembly members to a maximum of 14 years in office -- three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate.

Ashburn, Nunez and other critics of the current law say those limits do not allow enough time for them to acquire the expertise they need to make wise decisions on many complex policy issues.

All of the proposals would allow lawmakers to serve all 14 years in one house or any combination of the two houses.

However, they all contain one controversial feature that would allow people currently serving in the Legislature to serve 12 years in their current jobs, regardless of time they have served in the other house.

That would allow senators facing unemployment under term limits in 2008 or 2010 -- like Ashburn, Perata and many of their colleagues -- to run for a third four-year term in the Senate.

Assembly members approaching their six-year term limits, including Nunez and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, could run for up to three more two-year terms.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a strong backer of redistricting reform, welcomed Thursday's Senate action.

"I am pleased that the Legislature continues this vital discussion on redistricting reform," he said in a statement.

"There are many proposals on the table this year, and I look forward to working with all the legislative leaders to institute comprehensive political reform that will ensure a fair elections process for the people of California."

Author: VIC POLLARD , Californian Sacramento Bureau e-mail: vpollard@bakersfield.com

Section: Local

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