Essay - California Redistricting This Paper Explains California's Current Redistricting Process and...

California Redistricting

This paper explains California's current redistricting process and an alternative approach backed by Governor Schwarzenegger called proposition 77. Findings show that present-day ***** has problems, but that the proposed solution was equally flawed. The good that came out of proposition ***** was bringing attention to current problems ***** some ***** suggestions that could have real impact.

In ***** 1960's, the United States Supreme Court ruled, based on the Fourteenth Amendment of ***** United ***** Constitution, ***** the states are required to reconstruct the boundary lines of the Congressional, State Legislative and other districts the year after the year in which the national decennial census is conducted to make certain that the population ***** each district is reasonably equal (Red*****tricting for activists 101). Article XXI of the California Constitution also requires that the boundaries of California's political districts be redrawn at this time. California law ***** that redistricting, ***** legal process ***** redrawing the boundaries of the political districts, be conducted through the legislative *****. Redistricting legislation is introduced, moved through the hearing process, passed out of the Legislature and sent to the ***** much the same as ***** bills.

***** political party with control ***** both the State Assembly and Senate and the governorship, ***** control of the redistricting process (California' redistricting process). Each house draws its own state district maps ***** ***** congressional map is a joint effort between the two houses. The Elections and Reapportionment Committee ***** the State Senate plan ***** the Election; the Reapportionment and *****al Amendments Committee draws the Assembly plan. ***** governor has veto power over both the Assembly and Senate maps as well as the congressional *****.

G*****nor Schwarzenegger ***** opposed to ***** by legislatures because he felt ***** there was an inherent conflict of interest by ***** legislators design their own ***** (Lawrence, 2005). To support his view, he ********** pointed to the November 2004 election, when none of the 153 state legislative and congressional seats on the ballot changed party h*****s. As an alternative to redistricting by legisla*****rs, Schwarzenegger ***** proposition 77. The proposal aimed to amend the state constitution to give redistricting duties to a p*****el of retired judges and require them ***** try to draw new lines in time for the June primary in 2006 (Lawrence, 2005).

Critics, Democrats and Republicans alike, were quick to criticize ***** 77. ***** most notable objection concerned the panel of retired judges. The proposition ***** for the establishment of a five-member panel with diverse members that were to be nonpartisan (cannot have held partisan public office, political party office, or served as a registered lobbyist) and have no ambition to serve in partisan political office for at least five years (An *****ment to article XXI of the California constitution). The proposition also specified that major political parties be repre*****ed equally and that one member of ***** panel would not come from either ***** political party. Further ***** 77 would require ***** *****s *****out the state, substantial public input and involvement in