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Breaking News: California Common Cause Endorses a “Yes” Vote on Prop 93—Term Limits Reform

The good government group California Common Cause has just issued a statement indicating they are urging a yes vote on Proposition 93 which would reduce the amount of time legislators can serve from 14 years overall to 12 years in one house of the California State legislature with a transition period for current legislators.

This is what they had to say:

“California Common Cause today announced its endorsement of Proposition 93, a measure that will reform California’s term limits. “While we strongly condemn legislative leaders’ failure to adhere to their agreement to place a redistricting reform measure on the ballot along with the term limits proposition,” said California Common Cause Vice-Chair Roy Ulrich, “Common Cause has long believed that term limits arbitrarily limit the right of voters to elect their representatives from among the most qualified candidates while at the same time giving more power and influence to special interest lobbyists.”

“Proposition 93 will give voters the ability to decide whether to keep their assemblymember or senator in office for up to 12 years. Under existing law, assemblymembers are limited to three terms of two years, and senators are limited to two terms of four years, with the possibility that a person could serve a total of 14 years in the state legislature if elected to both houses. If passed, Proposition 93 would allow legislators to serve a total of twelve years in the Assembly, the Senate, or both.

“Although legislative leaders have failed to live up to their promise to place a redistricting reform measure on the ballot, California Common Cause has joined forces with the League of Women Voters, AARP, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, and other groups and individuals to obtain the signatures necessary to place the California Voters FIRST Act on the November 2008 ballot. Presently, California’s legislators draw their own districts behind closed doors, which creates a serious conflict between a legislator’s self-interest in drawing districts that ensure his or her safe reelection and the legislator’s responsibility to serve the interests of the communities he or she represents. If passed, the California Voters FIRST Act would create an open and transparent 14-person independent citizens commission to draw district boundaries.”

Common Cause is a national nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization founded in 1970 by John Gardner as a vehicle for citizens to make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to the public interest. It is one of the nation's largest and most effective citizens' lobbying organizations.

It has had distinguished leaders with high reputations. Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor who forced Richard Nixon to turn over the Watergate Tapes served as on the Common Cause National Governing Board from 1976 to 2001, was Chairman of Common Cause from 1980 to 1992.

With more than 300,000 members and supporters and 36 state organizations, Common Cause remains committed to honest, open and accountable government, as well as encouraging citizen participation in democracy.

Common Cause's endorsement should provide a real boost to those favoring Prop 93's reform.

Posted on January 18, 2008

Comments

Bravo Common Cause! We can’t sacrifice a sound reform of term limits, because we couldn't get redistricting reform on the ballot at the same time. As Governor Schwarzenegger put it, Prop. 93 is good public policy in its own right.

I fail to see how terming out legislators soon after they’ve mastered a myriad of complex state issues plus the inner workings of agencies makes any sense at all.

Posted by: Daniel at January 18, 2008 09:43 PM

Daniel, we were also promised redistricting on this very same ballot by Perata and Nunez and it isn't there. Isn't redistricting good public policy too for California today? (I mean, it must be or Perata and Nunez wouldn't have "promised" it in the first place, right?). So, just where is the redistricting Proposition?

I also fail to see the logic here: Ask any legislator if they are "smart enough" to run for office for the first time. Who would say they were not? Or that they need some time to "master" the process? Would you vote for someone who couldn't get up to speed walking in the door or even in their FIRST year/legislative session??

Logic #2: This crowd has repeatedly demostrated incompetence and selfishness. Yet here they are on the verge of being termed out via voter approved term limits in force today but via this "term limits initiative" of their OWN MAKING (not grass roots now is it...). Yet it is OK for them to stay on via this Proposition (take care of themselves) and not create any redistricting reform as promised (take care of California)...doesn't make any sense does it?

Posted by: Jay Gould at January 20, 2008 05:25 PM

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