MAP WOES: CALIFORNIA NEEDS TO RESOLVE OWN GERRYMANDERING PROBLEMS

MAP WOES: CALIFORNIA NEEDS TO RESOLVE OWN GERRYMANDERING PROBLEMS

Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa , CA )

July 3, 2006

Summer vacations always expose a certain number of navigationally impaired residents in our great country. But, as the U.S. Supreme Court appeared to recognize last week, nobody has more problems with maps than lawmakers. This is particularly true when it comes to drawing maps -- of voting districts.

Last week, the high court ruled on a Republican-driven redistricting process in Texas that was clearly partisan and violated precedent, logic and, possibly, federal law.

But the court ruled that for all the flaws in the 2003 Texas redistricting plan, it did not run afoul of the U.S. Constitution. In only one jurisdiction in the state did the high court find that Voting Rights Act guarantees were violated.

The decision sent out two clear messages, one more troubling than the other. The first is that the public can't count on the U.S. Supreme Court to restore public trust in how district boundaries are drawn. If the public wants districts created in a way that is fair and not politically motivated, it will have to mandate it through the ballot box.

The second message is an unfortunate affirmation that lawmakers can, for the most part, redraw maps more than once a decade if they so choose. This is likely to only make matters worse in capital buildings across the nation where political parties are at loggerheads over this issue.

Californians had an opportunity to fix this problem here last year with Proposition 77, which would have handed the duty of redrawing district boundaries over to a panel of independent judges. But the measure was defeated.

Still, there's hope. The Legislature is now considering another promising constitutional amendment that would give an independent commission the task of drawing legislative maps.

The makeup of the 11-member commission would be decided by 10 retired appellate judges. Each major party would name five of the judges. But the plan, SCA 3, was held up in the state Senate last week, casting doubt on whether it will be approved in time to get it on the fall ballot. Apparently some lawmakers are getting cold feet.

We encourage voters to apply a little heat -- to warm them up. The public should be given the opportunity to vote on this important measure in November.

The current redistricting plan in California primarily protects the interests of incumbents, not the voters. The state needs a new map and a new method for creating voting districts.

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Section: LOCAL

Page: B6