From Dan Walters’ Sacramento Bee column: One consequence of the state’s first February presidential primary election – unintended, perhaps, but a consequence nevertheless – will almost certainly be an extraordinarily low voter turnout for the June 3 regular primary. Primary elections generally see subpar turnouts, in part because independents have almost no motivation to vote.… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Rose Report
Dr. Pitney on the California Democrat Majority
From Steven Harmon’s article in the Mercury News: The biggest obstacle to a Democratic tidal wave: districts that Democrats themselves had a hand in drawing seven years ago that protect the majority party in each and make it hard for the opposing party to mount a credible challenge. “If they had drawn more competitive seats,”… Continue Reading
Right time for reform?
George Skelton in the LA Times has an article in which he looks at the political timing of the reform initiative. One interesting aspect is to look at what could have happened if the redistricting commission had been in place earlier. “Democrats whine and moan that they can’t get a two-thirds vote for the budget,”… Continue Reading
Dr. Steven Frates on Public Employee Pensions & Municipal Budgets
From the article by Stephen Moore, senior economics writer for the Wall Street Journal editorial page, in the Weekly Standard: “Pensions are the second biggest line item in most municipal budgets today behind law enforcement,” says Steven Frates, a professor at Claremont McKenna College and an expert on California’s pensions system. He adds that “the… Continue Reading
Douglas M. Johnson on Roving City Council Meetings
From Alison Hewitt’s article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune: It’s an issue many cities struggle with, said Doug Johnson, a fellow at the Rose Institute for State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College. “If some parts of town feel ignored, it’s a very high profile, symbolic way of showing that you’re paying attention,”… Continue Reading
Gov. Tim Kaine seeks Reform
According to Tim Craig in the Washington Post, Virgnia Governor Tim Kaine said the State needed redistricting reform in his annual State of the Commonwealth address. The Virginia Senate passed a reform bill last year that died in the House. The Senate and House are currently split (Democratic Senate, Republican House,)which will make the 2011… Continue Reading
Pennsylvania Redistricting Hearings
The Bulletin in Philadelphia has the details of a recent hearing of the state legislature on redistricting reform. There are 3 bills currently in the legislature that deal with reform. Testimony on the bill came from Pennsylvania’s League of Women Voters and Common Cause. According to the article, “The hearing focused on the issue of… Continue Reading
Rick Hasen, Debra Bowen: "Protecting the Right to Vote"
Via Rick Hasen’s Election Law blog: he’ll be at an interesting event with Secretary of State Debra Bowen tomorrow in San Diego: The San Diego Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society presents “Protecting the Right to Vote,†featuring The Honorable Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State; and Richard L. Hasen, William H. Hannon Distinguished… Continue Reading
California Primary Turnout Press
Speaking of Feb. 5 turnout numbers… Dan Walters reports on turnout over at Capitol Alert: The final numbers are in, and they reaffirm the almost uncanny accuracy of the Field Poll’s prediction that 56.6 percent of California’s registered voters would cast ballots… Frank D. Russo of the California Progress Report breaks down some of the… Continue Reading
Final Feb. 5 Turnout Numbers: Rose Report(ed) Right
After a month of counting (and some significant vote-counting issues), the official canvass of the vote is finally available, if you can find your way around the Secretary of State’s website. We can save you the adventure: The final numbers confirm what on February 28th we posted here on the Rose Report: the official turnout… Continue Reading