Not that one should that surprised. But some members of the California state legislature think that our voter initiative process is, well not to their liking, out of control.
So, some members of the state legislature want to make the process of getting initiatives on the ballot a harder process. And even if it passes, they even want to revisit within a time period. You know, to "revise" it.
According to this in the Left Angeles Times, the attempt to "reign in" the initiative process in being led by state senator Sen. Mark DeSaulnier (D-Concord). Get the pant load this dude is saying why he wants to "reform" the process:
"I don't want to get rid of the initiative process.I just want it to work better."
Sure, Sen. Mark. Sure you do.
So, Sen. Mark, why is it so important to reign in the process now? Maybe because your party, the Democrats, are running the show in Sacramento? You have all the constitutional offices. Control of the state legislature. Why now is the initiative process so terrible.
Because as the article points out, the Republican party and allies would be weakened if the process is reigned in.
Imagine under the proposed "reforms" if Proposition 13 somehow managed to get on the ballot today? Under one of the proposals, after a period of time, maybe four years, the legislature can review and revise the passed initiative. So, Prop. 13 would have passed and eventually gutted by a state legislature that would somehow find a way to say that all is OK now. Trust us.
The funny thing is that the Democrats have used the initiative process to push for some of the very things that have California at the financial brink.
Democrats and their allies pushed and succeeded in getting funding for mental health providers, passing the budget on a majority vote rather than getting 2/3 of the state legislature to pass it and Proposition 98 that allots for schools to get 40% of the general fund for their budgets.
Well, to quote that well-known philosopher, the "Rev." Jeremiah Wright, the chickens have come home to roost.
Now that California is on the financial brink, the ruling Democrats are in a pickle.
Now these legislators are claiming that the process has been "hijacked" by "special interests"-re: opposition to Democrat plans.
You know that California voters have been asked about raising taxes in the last several elections. And we have just said no every single time. And we will be asked again by a Democrat governor, Jerry Brown, through the. . .wait for it. . .initiative process.
That is where the Republicans have had some success. Even against an alleged Republican governor named Benedict Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But, surprise!
California voters do not like this backdoor attempt to reign in the process.
In the Times article, voters do not like giving the legislature the ability to revisit an initiative later on. Only 37% favor such a plan. I am surprised that so many favor a plan like that.
And the article ends with Marc Klaas, the father of Polly Klaas. She was murdered by Richard Allen Davis in 1993. It was because of her murder by a career criminal such as Mr. Davis that California led the way in the Three Strikes law. Oh, no thanks to the state legislature, but because of the initiative process. That would be Proposition 184.
Mr. Klaas said that the initiative process exists as a vehicle for unresponsive legislators. As Mr. Klaas said:
"The initiative process … exists so the people of California can have the kinds of laws they want."
Until they get in the way of the Democrats and their priorities.
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