Representation is the most important object for the people of a community. But, can you have fair representation when your elected official lives four counties over, with a mountain range and a hundred miles from your home—or more? The people of L.A. Count have a couple of dozen members of the legislature representing them—most just a freeway off ramp away. The good people in Lassen or Humboldt County have NO one representing them, that live in their communities.
“The Representation Equality Act would create eight culturally similar districts that would each have five senate seats. It would eliminate the Senate’s existing districts, all 40 of which are based on an equal population and largely dominated by Democrats from urban areas.
Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher represents rural northern Sacramento Valley and authored the amendment.
“These regions that we’re talking about feel that they don’t have as much of a voice and feel like they get overlooked in some of the policy,” Gallagher told Capital Public Radio. “It’s really about ensuring that all parts of this state have an equal place at the table.”
This is why the State of Jefferson movement. This is why the people of these counties are angry with Sacramento. At some point we need to confront this lack of representation—why not now?
Should Rural Districts Have A Greater Voice In The California Senate?
Chris Nichols, Capitol Public Radio, 6/7/17
The California State Senate would be transformed under a long-shot proposal announced Wednesday by rural state Republicans who want a greater voice for their communities in Sacramento.
The Representation Equality Act would create eight culturally similar districts that would each have five senate seats. It would eliminate the Senate’s existing districts, all 40 of which are based on an equal population and largely dominated by Democrats from urban areas.
Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher represents rural northern Sacramento Valley and authored the amendment.
“These regions that we’re talking about feel that they don’t have as much of a voice and feel like they get overlooked in some of the policy,” Gallagher told Capital Public Radio. “It’s really about ensuring that all parts of this state have an equal place at the table.”
He said this revamped state Senate would serve as a check on the power in the Legislature of large metro areas, similar to the role of the U.S. Senate in Congress.
“That helps check what our founders called the tyranny of the majority,” Gallagher said. “There is a such thing as when you have really distinct majorities that can always overrule and overpower in this case the rest of the state.”
The proposal would require an amendment to the state’s constitution, meaning it would need two-thirds approval from both houses of the Democrat-controlled Legislature and support from state voters.
No Democrats are backing the proposal.
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