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posted by takyon on Tuesday July 24 2018, @11:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the fault-lines dept.

California Supreme Court blocks proposal to split state in 3 from November ballot

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday blocked a proposal that would split the state into three from the November ballot.

The court wrote that it took the step "because significant questions have been raised regarding the proposition's validity and because we conclude that the potential harm in permitting the measure to remain on the ballot outweighs the potential harm in delaying the proposition to a future election."

Last week, an environmental group sued to have the measure removed from the ballot. To substantially alter the state's governance under the California constitution, the group argued, a constitutional convention would need to be called -- and that requires a supermajority of both houses of the state's legislature. A ballot initiative, the group said, was constitutionally insufficient.

See also: Billionaire Tim Draper Abandons Push to Split California Into Three

Asked if he would continue fighting for the measure, Draper said in an email to Bloomberg News that "the same six lawyers are going to make the decision. What would be the point? They have just proven that California has a runaway government and the people have no say."

Draper, a venture capitalist, sought the initiative because he said the world's fifth-largest economy is "nearly ungovernable" under the current system. Asked if there was anything else he planned to do to make the government more accountable, he said he was "still recovering from the shock."

Previously: Proposal to Divide California Into Three States Could Land on the November Ballot
Ballot Measure to Split California Into Three States Will Appear on the November 2018 Ballot


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @01:18PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @01:18PM (#711698)

    The increased voting power comes at the expense of a decrease in voting power for the other 49 states once California gets six senators instead of two.

    It's gerrymandering on a national level.

  • (Score: 2) by Fnord666 on Tuesday July 24 2018, @03:03PM

    by Fnord666 (652) on Tuesday July 24 2018, @03:03PM (#711741) Homepage

    The increased voting power comes at the expense of a decrease in voting power for the other 49 states once California gets six senators instead of two.
    It's gerrymandering on a national level.

    Who said we have to recognize whatever splinters off from California as a new state?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @07:10PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday July 24 2018, @07:10PM (#711834)

    Reducing the ratio of voters:congress critters decreases the ability to gerrymander effectively because then smaller changes in demographics are needed to screw up your carefully plotted scheme.

    If that reduces the power of people who already wield a disproportionate amount of power relative to their population is not a bug, it's a feature.