In a recent opinion piece appearing in the Venture County Star Stephen Lefevre, a political scientist at CSU Channel Islands strongly supports Proposition 11 for this election. He decries the undemocratic influence that has built up around the current process.
Today, redistricting is a sophisticated science with expensive consultants using technology to gerrymander districts. Allowing elected representatives to shape their own districts is a conflict of interest. As young people like to say today, “That’s just wrong!” Things are backward when, instead of voters choosing their legislators, legislators get to choose their voters.
This year, redistricting reform has a chance. Several times during the last two years, the Assembly and Senate have promised redistricting reform, but each time it has failed. Thousands of signatures got this independent redistricting initiative on the ballot. It is exactly the kind of issue for which California’s initiative process was created — for the voters to act when the Legislature cannot or will not respond.
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