Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging informed and active participation in government. It influences public policy through education and advocacy.
The League of Women Voters of California Sponsors Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR 1)
SJR 1 (Senator Wiener), sponsored by the League of Women Voters of California, would rescind all of California’s prior calls for an Article V Constitutional Convention. In today’s political climate, where extremist forces are actively seeking to undermine democracy, California’s open calls for a convention offer a direct pathway to chaos. California has seven open calls on the books, each one an open invitation to dismantle the Constitution. SJR 1 is our chance to close that door before it’s too late.
This point in history is a particularly dangerous time to call for an Article V Constitutional Convention. Even a convention called for a specific purpose could spin out of control. There are no rules to limit what can be proposed or changed. Powerful special interests and extremist politicians could hijack the process to roll back hard-won protections for voting rights, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and women.
The League of Women Voters of California Will Not Take a Position on Proposition 50
Early in the process, before the ballot language was written, we, along with several other good government groups, issued independent statements opposing mid-cycle redistricting. This was consistent with the League’s long-standing positions at both the state and national level. Since then, and on the heels of Texas’ decision, California Governor Newsom and the legislature moved forward to do mid-cycle redistricting. Now, the ballot measure language has been finalized. While the process for the redistricting in California differs from what is happening in Texas, the California League recognizes the importance of staying aligned with our national League and with state and local Leagues, such as in Texas, that are, or may soon be, in court challenging unfair maps.
With all of these factors in mind, we have decided not to take a position on Proposition 50.
The League of Women Voters of California Not Affiliated with Redistricting Mailer
You may have received a mailer from “Protect Voters First” about the redistricting ballot initiative this November. By naming our organization and quoting Gloria Chun Hoo, the mailer wrongly implies that the League of Women Voters of California is part of their coalition and endorses the information contained in the flyer.
This implication is NOT correct—we are NOT part of that coalition. The League of Women Voters of California did not authorize this action. Read our opposition letter to redistricting here: https://lwvc.org/opposition-mid-cycle-redistricting/