Former Inland lawmaker Jim Brulte joined former Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg in a newspaper column today urging people to support a November ballot initiative changing how the state draws political boundaries.

Brulte, the former Senate GOP leader, and Hertzberg played major roles in crafting the 2001 redistricting that has been criticized by everyone from Gov. Schwarzenegger to California Common Cause for all but smothering competitive elections.

While not a mea culpa for the current maps, Brulte and Hertzberg write that the current system of putting lawmakers in charge of political mapmaking is "truly counter to voters' best interests."

"In the 2001 redistricting process, we held public hearings and we listened to public input. We did our constitutional duty to draw new political lines in strict accordance with the letter of the law. But by allowing legislators to determine their own districts, there is no denying that today's system protects sitting legislators before all else," the column said.

The redistricting initiative, designated a little while ago as Prop. 11 on the Nov. 4 ballot, would put a 14-member independent commission in charge of drawing legislative lines. The Legislature still would be allowed to draw congressional districts.

— Jim Miller
jmiller@PE.com

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