Initiative Constitutional Amendment

Title & Summary

The Attorney General's office issued an official Title and Summary on December 7, 1999. The Summary incorrectly stated that the FV2K districting would be
based "solely on population", with no mention of compactness.
After a protest was filed, the Summary was corrected to
include the phrase "...geographical compactness and population..."
and the circulation calendar was revised.

Official Attorney General Title and Summary

ELECTION. REAPPORTIONMENT.
INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
Provides that districts for election of Congress, State Senate and Assembly, and Board of Equalization shall be drawn by the Secretary of State based solely upon geographical compactness and population determined by census divisions designated by the federal Census Bureau. Provides that the population of each district for Congress, each district for State Senate and Assembly, and each district for Board of Equalization shall not vary more than 1% from the average population of all districts of that type. Districts shall be drawn without regard to party registration, voting history, race, sex or national origin. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: This measure would result in costs to the state, probably up to several hundred thousand dollars once each decade, for the Secretary of State to establish the boundaries. This initiative would also result in unknown, but probably minor, savings to county governments by repealing the mandate that they compile and submit specified electoral data to the Legislature once each decade.

Fiscal Estimate Notes
Proponents challenged the fiscal estimate, since tens of millions of dollars now expended by the legislature to create, negotiate, adopt, litigate and approve the districting plans would be reduced to zero. We were advised that ALL appropriated legislative funds MUST be expended and therefore no savings could occur. Legislators may have to install individual heated spas in each office to dispose of the excess funds.

Petition Circulation
A total of 670,816 signatures must be filed with the various County Registrars before May 25, 2000. The Initiative will be considered qualified if more than 737,899 signatures are submitted.

Info@FairVote2K.Org