League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	State of California November 6, 2012 Election
	Proposition 40 Redistricting. State Senate Districts State of California Referendum - Majority Approval Required Pass: 8,235,698 / 71.9% Yes votes ...... 3,215,335 / 28.1% No votes See Also: Index of all Propositions

Arguments For Proposition 40

Arguments Against Proposition 40

YES ON 40 PROTECTS THE VOTER-APPROVED INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION A YES vote on Prop. 40 means that the State Senate maps drawn by the voter-approved independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will remain in place. A NO vote on Prop. 40 gives the politicians an opportunity to overturn the fair districts drawn by the independent Commission—costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. PROP. 40 IS A SIMPLE CHOICE BETWEEN THE VOTER-APPROVED CITIZENS COMMISSION AND SELF-INTERESTED POLITICIANS In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 11, which created the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the district maps for the State Senate and State Assembly. Before Prop. 11, the politicians in the state Legislature drew their own uncompetitive districts, virtually guaranteeing themselves re-election. Now, a small group of Sacramento politicians is unhappy with the results of the State Senate maps drawn by the independent Commission. These politicians are using this referendum to try to get their uncompetitive districts back. THE POLITICIANS HAVE ALREADY FAILED IN COURT When the same politicians tried a lawsuit against the State Senate maps, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously against them: “. . . not only do the Commission-certified Senate districts appear to comply with all of the constitutionally mandated criteria set forth in California Constitution, article XXI, the Commission-certified Senate districts also are a product of what generally appears to have been an open, transparent and nonpartisan redistricting process as called for by the current provisions of article XXI.” Vandermost v. Bowen (2012) We welcome you to read the whole ruling: www.courts.ca.gov/opinions/archive/S198387.PDF YES ON PROPOSITION 40 UPHOLDS THE WILL OF CALIFORNIA VOTERS California voters have voted three times in the last four years to have district maps drawn by an independent Commission, not the politicians: Yes on Proposition 11 (2008): created the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the maps for the State Assembly and State Senate Yes on Proposition 20 (2010): extended Prop. 11’s reforms to California’s Congressional districts No on Proposition 27 (2010): rejected politicians’ attempt to eliminate the independent Commission and give the power to draw their own legislative districts back to the politicians YES ON PROPOSITION 40—HOLDS POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE The passage of Proposition 11 and Proposition 20 and the defeat of Proposition 27 created a fair redistricting process that doesn’t involve Sacramento politicians! Because of these voter-approved reforms, for the first time in decades, the independent Commission drew fair districts for state legislators and Congress, starting with the 2012 elections. These redistricting reforms have put an end to political backroom deals by ensuring the process is transparent and open to the public. And, politicians are no longer guaranteed re-election, but are held accountable to voters and have to respond to constituent needs. “The Commission took politicians out of the process and returned power to the voters.”—John Kabateck, Executive Director, National Federation of Independent Business/California VOTE YES ON PROPOSITION 40—STOP POLITICIANS FROM OVERTURNING VOTER-APPROVED ELECTION REFORM http://www.HoldPoliticiansAccountable.org JENNIFER A. WAGGONER, President League of Women Voters of California DAVID PACHECO, President AARP California ALLAN ZAREMBERG, President California Chamber of Commerce Rebuttal to Arguments For As sponsors of Proposition 40, our intention was to overturn the commission’s State Senate districts for 2012. However, due to the State Supreme Court’s ruling that kept these districts in place for 2012, we have suspended our campaign and no longer seek a NO vote. JULIE VANDERMOST, Sponsor Proposition 40

As the Official Sponsor of Proposition 40, our intention was to make sure its qualification for the ballot would stop the current Senate District lines from being implemented in 2012. The Supreme Court reviewed the process and intervened to keep district lines in place. With the court’s action, this measure is not needed and we are no longer asking for a NO vote. JULIE VANDERMOST, Sponsor Proposition 40 Rebuttal to Arguments Against A YES VOTE ON PROP. 40 IS STILL NECESSARY TO PROTECT THE VOTER-APPROVED INDEPENDENT CITIZENS REDISTRICTING COMMISSION Voters still need to vote YES on PROP. 40 to ensure the State Senate maps drawn by the voter-approved independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will remain in place—even though the sponsors of this referendum have indicated above that they are no longer asking for a “No” vote. Once a referendum qualifies for the ballot, it is impossible to remove it—even if backers abandon the measure, as they did above. PROP. 40 IS A SIMPLE CHOICE BETWEEN A COSTLY ALTERNATIVE PROCESS AND PROTECTING THE VOTER-APPROVED CITIZENS COMMISSION Voting YES on 40: PROTECTS THE STATE SENATE MAPS drawn by the voter-approved independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. SAVES TAXPAYERS hundreds of thousands of dollars. HOLDS POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE: With district lines drawn by an independent citizens commission, politicians are no longer guaranteed re-election, but are held accountable to voters and have to respond to constituent needs. UPHOLDS THE WILL OF VOTERS: Californians have voted three times in the last four years to have an independent commission draw district maps—NOT the politicians. A “No” vote on Prop. 40 would overturn the fair districts drawn by the independent Commission—and allow the politicians a chance to once again influence the redistricting process for their own gain. YES ON PROP. 40 Please join us and a broad coalition of good government, business, senior advocacy and civil rights groups in voting YES on Prop. 40. http://www.HoldPoliticiansAccountable.org KATHAY FENG, Executive Director California Common Cause JOHN KABATECK, Executive Director National Federation of Independent     Business/California GARY TOEBBEN, President Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce