Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Will You Get To Vote on 3 Californias? Maybe Not.
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 6 years ago on
July 10, 2018

Share

SACRAMENTO — Opponents of an initiative to split California into three states asked the state Supreme Court to pull the measure from the ballot, arguing it’s too drastic a change to state government to go through the normal initiative process.
A lawsuit filed Monday by the Planning and Conservation League argues major changes to the state’s government structure require approval from two-thirds of the Legislature before going under consideration by voters or a state constitutional convention.

“It would not surprise me if the court took this off the ballot.” — UC Hastings law professor Michael Salerno
The initiative would break the state into Northern California, California and Southern California.
Northern California would comprise the Bay Area, Silicon Valley, Sacramento and counties north of the current 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.

State’s High Court Has Derailed Other Initiatives

The California Supreme Court has tossed initiatives in the past after ruling they went too far in changing government structure.
For example, in 1990 the court got rid of part of a measure to reform the state’s criminal justice system after voters passed it because the court found it revised the state Constitution beyond what could be done through an initiative.
In another case in 2000, the court struck a measure on lawmaker compensation and redistricting from the ballot before it went to voters because the justices found it violated the state’s single-subject rule, which requires that initiatives deal with just one issue.
Venture capitalist Tim Draper is financing the “Cal 3” initiative in his latest attempt to divide the state. He has spent more than $1.7 million supporting it. The nation’s most populous state has become too difficult to govern because of its size, wealth disparities and geographic diversity, Draper and the initiative’s supporters argue.

No Comment From Draper

Draper did not comment on the lawsuit because he had not seen it. A spokeswoman for the initiative also did not comment.
Draper’s measure is an abuse of the ballot initiative system, said Carlyle Hall, a lawyer working on the lawsuit.
“The dislocation and the disruption that would be caused by something as great as this just can’t be understated,” he said. “This will not make things better.”

Law Professors React

Michael Salerno, a law professor at UC Hastings, described the change that the initiative is trying to make as profound.
“It would not surprise me if the court took this off the ballot,” he said.
Loyola law professor Jessica Levinson said it makes sense for opponents to argue that the initiative substantially revises the state’s governing structure, but she added that judges are often reluctant to pull measures from the ballot.
The initiative could harm the environment if California’s strong environmental protections are scrapped and replaced with something weaker, which could happen if the state were split, Hall said.
Draper’s last attempt to divide the state in six didn’t gather enough signatures to make the ballot in 2016.
Although California, as it exists today, is heavily Democratic, the newly proposed Southern California might not be. Democrats have only a slim registration advantage over Republicans in that region.

DON'T MISS

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

DON'T MISS

Challengers Seek Seats on Tulare County Irrigation District Boards

DON'T MISS

Shy Pup Finds Hope with Foster Family, Evasion from Euthanasia

DON'T MISS

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

DON'T MISS

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

DON'T MISS

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

DON'T MISS

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

DON'T MISS

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

DON'T MISS

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East

DON'T MISS

Rapper Young Thug Is a Free Man. Here Are Things to Know About His Plea.

UP NEXT

Lyft Pays $2.1 Million to Settle Case Alleging the Ride-Hailing Service Deceived Drivers

UP NEXT

Southern California County Official Pleads Guilty to Bribery Charge in COVID Funds Scheme

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Indicted for Possessing Stolen Guns

UP NEXT

Anti-Semitic Incident at Oakland Cafe Raises Concerns About Rising Intolerance

UP NEXT

Schwarzenegger Endorses Harris, Warns Against Another Trump Term

UP NEXT

Will Noncitizens Be Able to Vote? This California City Will Decide Their Fate

UP NEXT

California Voters Consider Controversial Vacation Homes Tax in Iconic Lake Tahoe Area

UP NEXT

Los Angeles Sees Bus Burned, Store Thefts and Rowdy Crowds After Dodgers Win World Series

UP NEXT

On Elon Musk’s X, Dems Are an Endangered Species While GOP Goes Viral

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

7 hours ago

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

8 hours ago

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

20 hours ago

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

20 hours ago

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

21 hours ago

Russia’s Swift March Forward in Ukraine’s East

21 hours ago

Rapper Young Thug Is a Free Man. Here Are Things to Know About His Plea.

21 hours ago

AMOR Wellness Trunk-or-Treat Brings 700 Mendota Residents Together for Halloween Fun

21 hours ago

What Kind of Trouble Is Miguel Arias Trying to Stir Up This Time?

21 hours ago

MrBeast Probe Ends With Some Employees Fired but Finds No Proof of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

22 hours ago

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

Peanut butter is a childhood staple for many in the United States. Whether it’s a classic PB&J sandwich, a fluffernutter, cookies ...

6 hours ago

6 hours ago

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

6 hours ago

Challengers Seek Seats on Tulare County Irrigation District Boards

6 hours ago

Shy Pup Finds Hope with Foster Family, Evasion from Euthanasia

7 hours ago

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

8 hours ago

Let’s Keep Innovative Partnerships Crucial to Combating Climate Change: Fresno Dairy Manager

20 hours ago

Immediate Threat: Mussel Invades California’s Delta, First Time in North America

20 hours ago

Two-Time Cy Young Winner Blake Snell Opts Out of Contract with Giants

21 hours ago

No Matter the Outcome, We Are the True Losers of This Election

Search

Send this to a friend