California Judge Bars Vote on Change in Redistricting

A California judge has ordered the removal of a measure on California’s November ballot that changes districting and procedures around the state:

The judge, Gail Ohanesian of Sacramento County Superior Court, said supporters of the measure had violated the California Constitution by submitting a version of the measure to state officials for the ballot that was worded differently from the one signed by nearly 1 million voters.

"The differences are not simply typographical errors," Judge Ohanesian said. "They are not merely about the format of the measure. They are not simply technical. Instead they go to the substantive terms of the measure."

Supporters of the measure, who argued in court that the differences were both unintentional and inconsequential, said they would seek to have the judge's ruling stayed by the Court of Appeals as early as Friday or Monday.

Democratic California Attorney General Bill Lockyer says its not politics, he’s just doing his job. His spokesman stated, "The judge's ruling was well reasoned, well considered and correct. It basically stands for the proposition that the California initiative process isn't horseshoes and isn't hand grenades. Close is not good enough."

Sounds like a battle of semantics and technicalities, but isn’t this telling of how differently Democrats and Republicans view legislation? Whereas Republicans want to get this proposal into the hands of the voters and let them decide, Democrats are content with a single judge determining what is best for California.