Senate Constitutional Amendment 12, or SCA-12, authored by Senator Tony Mendoza (D-Los Angeles) with Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) the principal co-author, has passed by the State Senate on a bipartisan vote of 27-7.
“[This] was a huge step in the right direction for the people of L.A. County and all Californians,” Senator Mendoza said Thursday after the vote.
“The LA. County Board of Supervisors has remained the same since 1850, when the population was just 3,000,” he said. “It is time we give L.A. County’s 10 million residents a fair and representational government. In doing so, we will ensure the inequities in L.A. County do not repeat throughout the state as other counties continue to grow. SCA 12 will ensure both of these needs are met.”
SCA 12, upon voter approval, requires a county with a population greater than five million residents after the 2020 U.S. census to have a larger governing body.
“This constitutional amendment will bring accountability and representational equity to all people of L.A. County,” Mendoza said. “It is imperative that we look towards the future and provide our residents with a government that answers to them, not the other way around. By reducing the massive size of our supervisorial districts, we can finally bring the transparency and accountability the people deserve.”
The measure now heads to the State Assembly for consideration. With passage in both houses, the bill will be placed on the 2018 statewide ballot for California voters to accept or reject.
“L.A. County is larger than 42 states. Michigan, with the closest population to the county, is represented by executive officers, 110 legislators and 623 County Supervisors, yet here we are governed by just five County Supervisors with both legislative and executive powers,” Wilk said.
“These five people determine our fate on everything from transportation funding to social services,” Wilk said. “In Northern L.A. County we get shortchanged time and time again and other outlying areas suffer the same fate. This bill is a huge step toward righting those wrongs.”
Mendoza, a Los Angeles native and former elementary school teacher in East Los Angeles, represents the 32nd Senate District encompassing portions of Los Angeles and Orange Counties. For more information about Senator Mendoza, visit his website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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4 Comments
My eyes widen and my ears perk up when I read something about making a “larger government body.” This article gives us nothing to decipher what’s going on here. I shouldn’t pass judgment but I have to wonder just exactly what Wilk and Mendoza are trying to do here and whether money is changing hands.
here’s an earlier story … https://scvnews.com/2017/09/12/barger-rips-plan-to-expand-county-board-of-supervisors/
Love the term limits. Finally not a life long career in one office. I am guessing that is why our current supervisor is not in favor of it. Take some power away from her. On the surface the numbers are pretty outrageous. I am not for expanding government but it sure looks like a serious lack of representation in comparison to 42 other states – forget just a county. With what I have read on both articles I am currently in favor. However, would suggest some downsizing to those other states.
This bill, a State Constitutional Amendment was written in a way that will apply to all the counties in California, yet it will only affect one – LA County – any time in the near future.
One of the parts of the bill bases increasing “representation” by requiring any county of over 5 million citizens to add new Supervisors and one Elected “CEO” (based on a formula). LA County is currently the only one in this state over 5 million.
The next Counties to be affected – San Diego, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino will nearly have to DOUBLE their populations (or more) in order for this State Constitutional Amendment to affect them.
Cherry-picking anyone? And clever too. This uses the state amendment process to get 30 million potential voters involved in setting policy that will only affect the 7 million potential voters in LA County (rough numbers). And for a very long time, too.
As far as I can tell, it doesn’t change term limits in LA County as that was done a few years ago.
I wonder who has an eye on one of those millionaire-making new jobs in the re-jiggered LA County Government?
Oh, right. All of ’em.