I heard on a PBS program last week, "This Week in Northern California" that The Gropinator of California is now talking about redistricting in California. Darrell Issa supports the plan (he financed the successful recall of Democrat Gray Davis).
The following is from The Hill
http://www.thehill.com/campaign/111804.aspx
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) warned yesterday that a redistricting initiative being pushed by conservative activists in her state could lead to a Texas-style redistricting.
Democrats lost four seats this year in Texas because of a post-redistricting redistricting orchestrated by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).
Noting that "I held onto a very tough district in the '90s," Harman said she welcomes new blood to the House but indicated she is uncomfortable with any plan that would redraw political boundaries before the 2010 census. It is unclear when and how redistricting, which is now dealt with by the state Legislature, would be changed.
One key supporter of redistricting reform, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), said earlier that the California effort involves systemic change and explicitly singled out Texas as an example of what reformers were not trying to do.
None of California's 53 congressional seats changed party hands this year.
The all-important question when it comes to redistricting reform in California is where Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) stands. The governor earlier said he supports reform in principle.
Snee added that Schwarzenegger has not decided whether to call a special election in 2005 on redistricting reform -- as some reformers would like -- and that he is focused on the state budget and the upcoming State of the State address, in January.
Update [2004-11-18 16:25:55 by fishwars]: The redistricting in California would be taken away from the state legislature which is currently controlled by Democrats.
A chamber of commerce official who served on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's transition team and is legal counsel to the governor's wife is launching a campaign to take redistricting powers away from the Democratic-controlled Legislature. George Kieffer, chairman of the board of directors for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, said the change could reduce polarization, improve California's business climate and better serve mainstream voters.
He said he will ask his board when it meets today to adopt a resolution supporting the idea. That could lay the groundwork for a ballot initiative campaign in 2006 - or earlier, if Schwarzenegger calls a special election to put before voters any of a variety of changes he is considering to the structure of state government and operations of the Legislature.
http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1277282/posts