SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A measure that would divide California into three parts won’t appear on the ballot in November, the state Supreme Court decided Wednesday.
The justices ordered the secretary of state not to put the ballot initiative before voters, saying significant questions have been raised about its validity. The court will now consider the merits of a challenge brought by an environmental group.
The Planning and Conservation League argues that dividing the nation’s most populous state into three would drastically change California’s government structure beyond what can be accomplished through a ballot initiative.
Venture capitalist Tim Draper, who has spent more than $1.7 million supporting the initiative, has said it would be inappropriate for the court to block it from going before voters.
Neither side immediately responded to requests for comment on the court’s ruling.
The initiative, which could appear on a future ballot if the court ultimately rules in its favor, seeks to divide the state into Northern California, California and Southern California. Its supporters argue the state has become ungovernable because of its size, wealth disparities and geographic diversity.
Northern California would comprise the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Sacramento and counties north of the state capital. California would be a strip of land along the coast stretching from Los Angeles to Monterey. Southern California would include Fresno and the surrounding farming communities, reaching all the way to San Diego and the Mexican border.
California has two ways or ‘levels’ of making changes to their Constitution; amendments and ‘revisions’. Amendments are smaller changes which can be more easily achieved. Revisions are bigger changes, and are harder and take more to get enacted. Without having looked at the ruling, etc, I’m guessing that the people behind the proposition are trying to enact an amendment, and the Court says this has to get done through the Revision process.
They’re just trying to destroy California, the 7th largest economy in the world for stupid political whining from rednecked racist aholes who are vastly outnumbered by actual sentient beings.
As someone who swims off the left coast, a dumb Idea ineptly implemented. (And it didn’t come from DJT)
What do Fresno County and San Diego County have in common?
Nothing.
Don’t worry, I’m sure it won’t be long before a fresh startup in Silicon Valley will come up with a brand-new governance structure whereby similar smaller units can be joined under the umbrella of a larger governing authority to centralize functions. I’d say more but they need several million dollars of venture capital before changing the world.