Big Governor, Small Reform Agenda

The most striking thing about Gov. Schwarzenegger's political reform event Wednesday at a railroad museum in Sacramento was how little was said about the future. The event celebrated the narrow triumph of Prop 11, the measure to strip California legislators of the ability to draw their own districts. But there wasn't much specific about that. Schwarzenegger's office did issue a press release that listed legislation he's supported in the past, and argued that he will pursue more transparency, without giving details). 

Prop 11 was a significant political triumph (similar measures had lost before), but its impact is likely to be small. The measure doesn't take effect for another two years. And given the political geography of California, it will be hard to draw single-member districts that don't strongly favor one party or the other. Californians tend to live near people who vote like they do.

The value of Prop 11 was to develop momentum for more profound reforms. But no reforms were discussed at the Wednesday event, according to a transcript. The only idea clearly on the table is having "open" or non-partisan primaries for statewide offices, instead of the current partisan primary. That would certainly have a greater impact than redistricting. And tamping down partisanship is necessary. But the measure doesn't take on the state's core and related problems: its dysfunctional budget system (which requires super-majorities to pass a budget or raise taxes) and its initiative-mad politics. The open primary's effects on these problems would be, at best, indirect.

It's time for reform groups to be more aggressive and try harder, more direct reforms. Passing any kind of political reform, including an open primary, will be so difficult anyway, that it makes better strategic sense to pursue big changes -- such as ending the two-thirds requirement, or increasing the size of the legislature and allowing voters to elect more than one representative per district.