Proposition 77 was rejected by voters in the November 2005 election.
PROP. 77
Redistricting. Initiative Constitutional Amendment
This is an initiative constitutional amendment.
Should the California Constitution be amended to change the process of redistricting California’s State Senate, State Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts, transferring the implementation of redistricting from the Legislature to a panel of three retired judges, selected by legislative leaders?
Amends state Constitution’s process for redistricting California’s Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts. Requires three-member panel of retired judges selected by legislative leaders.
Over 95% of all legislators in California are elected in districts where their party has an overwhelming advantage over the other. Many critics believe this lack of competition leads to poor governance. Right now, those districts are drawn up by the legislature itself. This measure would transfer the power to draw up districts to retired judges — chosen by the legislature.
- Background, key web sites, public opinion polls, select news and reports by the IGS Library at UC Berkeley
- In Depth Non-Partisan Analysis, League of Women Voters Ca.
- Pros & Cons Analysis, League of Women Voters Ca.
- Notable backers and detractors as well as major campaign contributors, California Voter Foundation
- Official Legislative Analysis, California Legislative Analyst’s Office (PDF)
- “Prop. 77 splits Common Cause in state: Anger over support by national group for redistricting measure,” San Francisco Chronicle
- California’s Need for Redistricting Reform and the Likely Impact of Proposition 77, Rose Institute of State and Local Government, (PDF), asks but avoids answering the following key questions: “Is Proposition 77 the reform California needs? Is it the first step in a national wave of reform? Or is it a flawed proposal brought forward by Republican partisans attempting to undermine the Democratic control of the California Legislature? Should reformers hold out hope of a different reform initiative making the ballot before 2011, or should the reform movement make the most of the opportunity on the ballot this November?”
- “No. Unaccountable retired judges would make decisions,” San Diego Union-Tribune, “A lot of us have mental alarms that go off when politicians say they want to change the rules to make things ‘fair.’ Proposition 77 ought to have those alarms ringing off the hook…The sponsors of Proposition 77 are cleverly casting their effort to gain political advantage as reform. Yet organizations that have worked for decades to improve California’s redistricting process - including the League of Women Voters - oppose Proposition 77.”
