SUMMARY OF PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE'S
REDISTRICTING INITIATIVE

THE CITIZENS FAIR DISTRICTS INITIATIVE OF 2008

"Redistricting Reform That Restores Democracy to California"

 ACT NOW OR WAIT UNTIL 2022

Unless California voters enact redistricting reform, elections for Congress and the State Legislature are likely to remain rigged in favor of incumbents until 2022!

THE SPONSOR: PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE

People's Advocate, the author of Proposition 77 and now the lead sponsor for the Citizens Fair Districts Act, hopes to collect one million signatures between January and the end of April 2008 deadline in order to qualify the initiative for the November 2008 ballot.

A STRONGER NEGOTIATING POSITION FOR THE GOVERNOR

The slim likelihood of an agreement between the legislature and the Governor on a reform measure for the June 2008 ballot that includes Congress and establishes a truly independent commission is far greater if the voters have an alternative choice of passing a ballot initiative that does these things in November of 2008.

Here are the key elements of the Citizens Fair Districts Initiative:

AN INDEPENDENT CITIZENS PANEL

The Citizens Fair Districts Act of 2008 takes the redistricting power away from the legislature and their appointees and instead would create an independent citizen’s commission to draw the lines. No judges will be on the Commission.

STRICT CRITERIA FOR DISTRICTS

The Commission will use strict criteria to draw districts that:

   • comply with the Voting Rights Act

   • minimize divisions of cities and counties

  • are geographically compact

RANDOMLY SELECTED INVITEES

Commission members will be selected from among a randomly selected group of citizens from each Assembly district who will be invited to apply and respond if they have an interest in serving. This prevents special interests from packing the applicant pool.

LEGISLATORS SCREEN APPLICANTS

The group of applicants will be screened twice by legislative leaders from both parties.

   • First, without names attached, to screen out those who may be less qualified based on their applications, and

   • Second, with names attached, to screen out a limited number each leader believes is unduly partisan or biased.

LEGISLATORS CAN'T HANDPICK

The key is that legislators may veto potential Commission members, but they cannot handpick those who will draw the lines.

AN ELEVEN PERSON BALANCED COMMISSION

After the legislative screening, the final 11 person Commission will be selected by lot and must include four members each from the state's largest and second largest parties and three members who are not registered with either of the two largest parties.

OPEN AND PUBLIC REDISTRICTING PROCESS

In order to establish and implement an open and noticed hearing process for public input and deliberation, the Commission will establish and publish a schedule of hearings and locations as soon as reasonably possible after it’s first meeting.

A BIPARTISAN MAJORITY REQUIRED TO APPROVE PLANS

The Commission, by a 2/3 vote, must choose a nonpartisan expert adviser.

The final plan must be adopted with the votes of at least 2 of the 4 members from each of the major parties and at least 2 of those who are not registered with either of those parties. No two of these three groups alone can dominate the Commission.

RIGHT FOR REFERENDUM IS PRESERVED

The right under current law of citizens for referendum regarding districts adopted by the Commission is preserved.