The Rose Report

In 2008, California voters adopted Proposition 11, a measure that stripped the state legislature of its power to draw its own districts and transferred that power to an independent redistricting commission.  Proposition 11 left in place the legislature’s power to draw the state’s congressional districts, but established new redistricting criteria for the legislature to follow [...]

An Arkansas trial judge recently struck down a 2008 initiative that prohibited cohabiting adults, not in a legally recognized marriage, from becoming adoptive or foster parents. In Cole v. Arkansas, Judge Christopher C. Piazza ruled that Initiated Act I, An Act Providing that an Individual Who is Cohabiting Outside of a Valid Marriage May Not [...]

In June 2010, California voters will have the chance to fundamentally alter the state’s primary election system. Currently, California operates under a modified closed primary system. Under this system, political parties nominate candidates for the November General Election through a June Primary Election. The primary is “closed” because voters may select only their own party’s candidates, [...]

Voice of San Diego, with whom the Rose Institute worked to put together our “Comparing San Diego County Services: A Twelve-County Analysis,” ran an insightful and comprehensive series of articles based on the Rose Institute study. The articles are all available from the Special Report center on the Voice website. And now Voice has put [...]

The Rose Institute today released a report on the provision of services by San Diego County. Both the press release and the full report are now available online.
From the press release:
“The report comprehensively analyzes San Diego County spending and services in four categories: Welfare, Public Protection, Mental Health, and Other Public Assistance. Looking at the [...]

The following article is from our Spring, 2008 newsletter:
As summer approaches, we finalize spring semester projects and reflect upon another great year at the Rose Institute. We give a big thank you to our class of 2008 student managers, Pierce Rossum and Emily Pears, who have led us to the Rose Institute’s 35th year. Peter [...]

From Alison Hewitt’s article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
It’s an issue many cities struggle with, said Doug Johnson, a fellow at the Rose Institute for State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College.
“If some parts of town feel ignored, it’s a very high profile, symbolic way of showing that you’re paying attention,” Johnson said. [...]

Via Rick Hasen’s Election Law blog: he’ll be at an interesting event with Secretary of State Debra Bowen tomorrow in San Diego:
The San Diego Lawyer Chapter of the American Constitution Society presents “Protecting the Right to Vote,” featuring The Honorable Debra Bowen, California Secretary of State; and Richard L. Hasen, William H. Hannon Distinguished Professor [...]

Yesterday, the US Supreme Court agreed to hear Bartlett v. Strickland, a Section 2 Voting Rights Act case with potentially major implications for California’s African American members of Congress.
The North Carolina case poses the question whether a group that constitutes less than 50 percent of a district’s population can state a vote dilution claim under [...]

In a 7-2 surprise, the US Supreme Court ruled in Washington State Grange v. Washington State Republican Party that Washington’s open primary law is constitutional. This opens the door to an expected revival of California’s open primary law. Expect drafting and fundraising to start in many corners of the state within 24 hours!
UPDATE
Dan Walters says:
The [...]