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California Proposition 27 (2010)


Proposition 27 was an unsuccessful ballot proposition on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California, placed there by the initiative process. If approved, this measure would have repealed California Proposition 11 (2008), which authorized the creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw the electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts. It would also have modified the provision in California law that says that proposed congressional districts can't be subjected to a veto referendum.

According to political journalist Shane Goldmacher, Democratic political strategists said that this initiative was a political tactic to defeat Proposition 20, the Congressional Redistricting Initiative, which was also on the November 2, 2010 ballot: "Democratic political strategists say the best way to ensure a 'no' vote this fall on California Proposition 20 is to confuse the public further with a second ballot measure on the already head spinning topic of political line drawing." This tactic was ultimately unsuccessful, as Proposition 20 passed, extending the Commission's power over redistricting to include U.S. House districts.

Proposition 27 and Proposition 20 each had a so-called "poison pill" provision. This meant that if both received a majority vote, the proposition that received the highest majority vote would be the law to go into effect. Since Proposition 20 passed but Proposition 27 did not, neither provision was triggered.

Ballot title:

Official summary:

Estimated fiscal impact:

If Proposition 27 is approved by California's voters, it will amend some parts of the California Constitution.

Specifically, it will amend:

Daniel Lowenstein, the official proponent of the measure, is a professor at UCLA and a former chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Although Lowenstein's name is on the application for the initiative, he says that the real sponsors are Democratic members of the U.S. Congress led by Howard Berman and Berman's brother Michael Berman of Berman & D'Agostino Campaigns, a paid consultant for Democrats on redistricting issues. Lowenstein says, "It's Michael and Howard together." Both Daniel Lowenstein and Michael Berman worked on the No on California Proposition 77 (2005) campaign where Mr. Lowenstein was Chairman and Mr. Berman was the committee's campaign consultant.California Proposition 77 (2005) was a previous attempt at independent redistricting reform that failed at the ballot box. Mr. Lowenstein also wrote scholarly articles that highlight Michael Berman and his company.


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