California's Experiment

With the historic nature of this year’s Presidential election it can be forgiven if some very important results have been a bit under-reported. However now that the Obama transition is underway perhaps we can look at a certain ballot measure that was passed in California that could have far reaching implications for many of the current crop of elected officials, and no it is not the gay marriage ban.

California Proposition 11, also known as the Voters FIRST Act, was a proposed amendment to the California Constitution. It will change authority for establishing Assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization district boundaries from elected representatives to a 14 member commission. Under current law the legislature draws its own districts which results in 99 percent of incumbents being re-elected; but this initiative will open up redistricting so that it will no longer be controlled by only the party in power. When state legislators are in charge of drawing district boundaries there is an obvious conflict of interest in that legislators place their own self-interest ahead of the common good. One just has to remember the problems in Texas to see the chaos this can create. Now a commission will be set up through a system of applicants and a lottery with attention given to balancing both parties along with independents. This new commission will have the job of setting up districts which are representative of the state as a whole. It could be the wave of the future if it works in California, and with as popular a proponent as Arnold Schwarzenegger it very well could.

What this could eventually lead to is a more moderate group of legislators. Currently a candidate must play to the extremes in his base to make it through a primary. Therefore whoever ends up winning the general election is almost assured to follow a hard party-line. If districts could be redrawn so that a more moderate candidate could make it through the election process one would eventually see a more moderate legislative body.

As we look at how gridlocked and partisan the US Congress has become, the thought of allowing some moderates on each side of the political spectrum have a more prominent voice is appealing. All eyes should be on California over the next few election cycles to see if they have come up with a viable remedy to a forever-stalemated congress.

Post sponsored by Quality-Resumes.