John A. Smith has a posting at the California Progress Report defending Keeley and Panetta in their support of redistricting reform. Recently, a political consultant attacked Fred Keeley and Leon Panetta for their position in favor of the Independent Redistricting initiative. Whether you like the initiative or not, Keeley and Panetta are outstanding former lawmakers… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Rose Report
Voting Rights Act Criteria
Questions have come up on exactly what is the criteria under the Voting Rights Act that deals with redistricting. The Department of Justice summarizes Section 5 of the VRA here. This is an AP article regarding North Carolina is currently challenging certain provisions and the case is now at the Supreme Court. Also here is… Continue Reading
Dr. Frates on Local Government Car Allowances
From Matthew T. Hall’s article in the San Diego Union-Tribune: “I’ve heard people wax very eloquently on both sides,†said Steve Frates, a senior fellow at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College. Continue Reading
Voters First Redistricting Reform Update
Dan Weintraub on Governor Schwarzenegger and Proposition 77: …Schwarzenegger’s goal was noble: To end a system controlled by political insiders that has helped polarize the Legislature into warring camps of liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans. With district lines drawn to create safe seats for members of both parties, candidates for the Legislature merely have to… Continue Reading
Algorithmic Redistricting
Thanks to Shane Goldmacher of Capitol Alert for the link: Redistricting is an inherently political process, as the adage goes. So Brian Olson, a computer programmer whose Web site says he works for Google, designed a computer program to automatically draw district boundaries based on the principle that allows people to “have the lowest average… Continue Reading
Dr. Pitney on McCain's Fundraising in California
From Mary Anne Ostrom’s article in the Mercury News: While raising money, “he has to make it appear that he’s going to compete in California come the fall,” said Jack Pitney, a Claremont McKenna College government professor and former Republican political operative. Although given the competitive outlook in other easier states for Republicans, “at this… Continue Reading
Computer Redistricting
Instead of having legislators or a commission redraw lines could we take the “human” element completely out of the process and just have it drawn by a computer? Well Brian Olson has created a program to do that here. He has a simulation of what each states districts might look like. California is posted below:… Continue Reading
Gerrymandering: The Tool Of Dictators?
With much international focus in the past few days on the elections in Zimbabwe it is interesting to look at how redistricting power has been used and is seen. The AP article on the upcoming elections phrases it this way: “People long cowed into silence by Mugabe’s strong-arm methods are speaking openly against their leader,… Continue Reading
California Forward
A new group, California Forward has been formed to seek sensible reforms to California’s governance structure. There website is here: caforward.org. The nonprofit organization is made up of a 13-member bipartisan board. According to a Sacramento Bee article the group has sizable resources ($15.9 million three-year budget) and the ability raise more. They will play… Continue Reading
Colorado’s Different Redistricting Approach
The California coalition working toward redistricting reform has produced an initiative that does not include congressional districts and has no requirement for competitiveness. However a recent bill that passed a Colorado State Senate committee takes an opposite approach. Reported in the Denver Post, SB 198 would add a criteria (ONLY to congressional redistricting) attempting an… Continue Reading