Revise: IV.21 Legislature

Recommended by a vote of 11 to 0

Summary

The existing plank on this subject has three paragraphs which address basically the same point – the number of people represented by each legislator. This proposal consolidates the language of those paragraphs into one, while leaving the last paragraph (which addresses a different point) unchanged.

Changes

Replace the first three paragraphs with one paragraph.

Text Showing Revisions

The legislature is meant to have a real and effective connection with the people. To that end, there should be enough legislators to allow all people access to their elected representatives. California has only 40 Senators and 80 Assembly members to represent a population of almost 40 million.

To promote the ability of citizens to develop and maintain healthy relationships with those who represent them, California should increase the number of electoral districts, thereby decreasing the number of citizens within each district. This would also have the benefit of eliminating the need for officeholders to waste their time as perpetual fundraisers, and would reduce the power of the elected to unethically benefit from their positions.

It is the position of the Libertarian Party that the people should have adequate representation in their legislature and that the number of representatives should increase as the population grows.

The legislature should have a real and effective connection with the people, so that citizens can develop and maintain healthy relationships with those who represent them. California has only 40 Senators and 80 Assembly members to represent a population of almost 40 million. The number of districts should be increased, thereby decreasing the number of citizens within each district, and the number of districts should increase as the population grows. This would also reduce the need for officeholders to waste their time as perpetual fundraisers, and would reduce their power to unethically benefit from their positions.

Additionally, we oppose a full-time legislature in California and support efforts to make the job of legislator at most a part-time one with drastically reduced salaries, staff, and expenses.