Proposition 40, which allows California voters the opportunity to accept the Senate district lines drawn last year, represents an effort to pull an independent, voter-approved process back into the hands of partisan state politics.
Senate redistricting is a process held every 10 years in which the California Citizens Redistricting Commission reviews the boundaries set for the state’s electoral districts. The Citizens Redistricting Commission is an independent organization formed by voter approval.
Proposition 40 would maintain this responsibility to politicians.
This board urges students to vote “yes” on Proposition 40, to avoid unnecessary spending by the state and to uphold a transparent review of California’s state Senate districts.
Proposition 40 found a place on the November ballot after California Republicans expressed concern that the newly drawn district lines fell too heavily in favor of Democrats. Since February, when the measure was approved for the ballot, opposition has largely dissipated ““ even the original backers of Proposition 40 have ceased their campaigning on behalf of the referendum.
As is common with the California referendums, it can be unclear what a “yes” or “no” vote would mean for the initiative.
A “no” vote on the measure would send the state’s senate districts to the California Supreme Court for consideration. The process would cost an estimated $1 million of taxpayer money.
A “yes” vote would uphold the voter-approved commission’s district lines and save taxpayers the misuse of their contributions.