California Common Cause has worked for years to change the process by which politicians currently draw their own political districts -- a process that in effect allows politicians to choose their voters before voters can choose among politicians.

These efforts took a big step forward today with the official launch of the Voters FIRST initiative.  This ballot question, filed by Common Cause, AARP, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, will appear on the November 2008 ballot if enough Californians sign petitions to support it by next April.
Read the full text of the initiative here.

Today, the campaign received a big boost in receiving endorsements from the California League of Women Voters and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Common Cause is leading the charge on redistricting in California, campaign finance reform in Wisconsin and Nebraska, watchdogging in Georgia, and more.  Check out the fruits of our ongoing labor around the country....

• California Common Cause introduces statewide redistricting initiative for 2008 ballot
• Common Cause Georgia establishes first satellite unit outside Atlanta
• Governor of Wisconsin breaks promise on campaign finance reform
• Common Cause Nebraska still gunning for Public Service Commission campaign reform
• Hearing, rally, and continued pressure on FCC to block media consolidation and support localism

Forgive me if today's posts seem rather Texas-centric - there was a lot of good stuff coming out of the Lonestar State's newspapers today!  Also, I'm from Texas, and no one's stopping me.

From Dave McNeely of the Midland Reporter-Telegram, an excellent review of the redistricting mess Texas made headlines with, and also the potential for a bipartisan redistricting commission.

The article spells out the obstacles, but it does seem like there's hope that Wentworth and his supportive colleagues (yes, there are a bunch of them) may eventually get their way.  Here's hoping they do!

The life of a legislative district is not usually particularly remarkable. I am New York State Senate District 51. People often say I look like Abe Lincoln riding a vacuum cleaner. When people come up to me and say that I usually thank them for comparing me to such a great man and we laugh at the fact that it's actually quite absurd since of course vacuums didn't exist in the 1860s. But there's something quite disturbing about all this that I have been keeping to myself.

Democrats picked up a 30th House seat this week, and once again, it's all Tom DeLay's fault.  This time, though, it's more than just his long list of scandals dragging down the Republican Party.  This time, his direct actions may have cost the GOP the seat.

On Tuesday, former Representative Ciro Rodriguez (who'd lost his seat due to DeLay's mid-decade redistricting) narrowly beat incumbent Rep. Henry Bonilla in a runoff election, largely due to the redistricting that changed voter demographics.  It was an unexpected win, and it certainly adds insult to injury to the disgraced DeLay.

To those in the reform community who were dismayed to see the redistricting process being abused for partisan gain at the expense of fairness to voters, this is the cherry on top of the DeLay disgrace sundae.

On Friday, a three-judge federal panel redrew several Texas Congressional districts after a long partisan battle with Election Day implications.  The Supreme Court declared the existing map, redrawn in 2003 by the Republican controlled state Legislature, unconstitutional because it significantly weakened Hispanic strength in the 23rd Congressional District - a violation of section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

The expansive 23rd District currently stretches from El Paso County in the West to parts of Webb and Bexar (San Antonio) Counties in the South.  Under the new plans, Webb County has been moved entirely into the 28th District, and Kerr, Kendall, Bandera, and Real Counties have been added to the 21st District.

Additionally, several solidly Hispanic neighborhoods in southern Bexar Country have been added to the 23rd District.  Hispanics will constitute 61 percent of the voting-age population in the revised 23rd District, a 10 percent increase from the 2004 figure.

For more information about Friday's decision, check out the panel's ruling and the new map (pdf).

No one saw this coming, right?

There are proposed plans from Republicans, Democrats, interest groups, minority coalitions, Representatives, Attorney Generals, and who knows who else will decide to get in on the fun, as politicians try to draw their opponents out of districts and insure their own reelection and minority groups try to protect their own interests.  A three-judge panel will hear arguments on August 3.  We'll keep you updated on how this mess gets sorted out.