Proposition 118 : Make Redistricting Fair to All

Proposition 118 would give a minority (one-third) of the state Legislature the power to veto any reapportionment plan proposed by the majority. This would increase racial gerrymandering and back-room deal-cutting by incumbents.

Proposition 119 would remove the redistricting process from the hands of popularly elected legislators and put it into the hands of an appointed commission. Cynical at best, this would take the redistricting process one more step from the voters. Putting such matters into a commission only hides power struggles and increases the influence of special interests.

Few Latino leaders argue that past redistricting efforts were fair to our community. As Democratic and Republican incumbents battled for power, Latino communities were gerrymandered. The result is that while Latinos comprise 26% of California’s population, they hold only 5% (6 of 120) of the legislative seats.

It is time to introduce a new ethic into the process. The Voting Rights Act and subsequent precedents hold that criteria of one person/one vote, respect for the integrity of communities of interest (blacks, Latinos, etc.), and prohibition of racial gerrymandering are preferred guidelines for redistricting. New laws should enforce these standards for redistricting at the state and local levels (Latinos are also shut out by nonpartisan county supervisor elections in California, holding only 8 of 290 seats, or 3%).

The Latino contribution may well be to reintroduce the great values of American democratic thought into California political debate. Good governance ought to facilitate political participation and representation for all--poor and working class as well as wealthy, ethnic minorities as well as Anglo majority, non-citizen as well as citizen, female as well as male.

Proposition 118 won’t do it. Neither will its competitor, Proposition 119.