2008 Ballot Watch: Proposition 11: Redistricting

A series of election issue previews

By Jim Sanders

Published: Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008 | Page 3A

Voters get another chance to wrest the legal authority from state lawmakers to draw boundaries of their own districts.

WHAT IT DOES

Proposition 11 amends the state constitution to shift from lawmakers to a commission the authority to draw legislative and Board of Equalization districts.

Creates a 14-member citizens commission consisting of five Democrats, five Republicans and four independent or minor-party voters to draw new maps every 10 years. Any voter could apply. Applicants would be whittled to 60 by three state auditors, then legislative leaders could cut the pool to 36, if they desire. Eight commissioners would be chosen randomly, then they would select their six colleagues. New maps must be approved by nine of the 14 commissioners.

Retains legislators' authority to draw congressional districts.

HISTORY

Legislative leaders sparked controversy in 2001 by striking a deal among themselves to draw lines that protected incumbents of both parties. Only one of 53 congressional seats, and none of 120 legislative seats, has changed party hands in the past two elections. Communities tend to tilt Republican or Democratic, however, so new maps would not assure widespread competition. Voters have rejected redistricting measures five times since 1982 - most recently, Proposition 77, in 2005.

SAFE DISTRICTS

Not one of the 80 California Assembly districts changed party hands in 2006. The margin of victory was less than 5 percentage points in only three districts, and the margin in more than 80 percent of the districts exceeded 20 points.

MONEY WATCH

Supporters of Proposition 11 have raised $12.8 million. Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has led the campaign and donated $2.5 million from his campaign coffers. Other top donors include Charles Munger Jr., Stanford University physicist, $1 million; Jerry Perenchio, owner of Chartwell Partners, a private investment firm, $500,000; and Brian L. Harvey, president of Cypress Land Co., $350,000.

Opponents have collected $941,000, with major donations from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, $400,000; the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, $250,000; and the Democratic State Central Committee, $175,000.

SUPPORTERS

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

League of Women Voters of California

Former Gov. Gray Davis and former state Controller Steve Westly, both Democrats

WHAT THEY SAY:

Allowing lawmakers to draw districts creates a major conflict of interest.

Politicians in safe seats face little competition and, thus, are less accountable to voters.

Democrats and Republicans are assured equal representation on the commission - and other parties would have clout as well.

OPPONENTS

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, both Democrats

California Democratic Party

California Labor Federation and most major public employee unions

WHAT THEY SAY:

Commissioners drawing the lines would be neither elected nor accountable.

Having a commission draw legislative districts, but not congressional districts, is illogical and inefficient.

The measure is a power grab financed largely by Schwarzenegger, whose GOP is badly outnumbered in the Legislature.