Crash Diet for a Bloated Constitution

Most Californians have only a passing acquaintance, if that, with the state Constitution. It’s not at the top of anyone’s list of things to do: Buy milk, do laundry, read Constitution. But the 116-year-old document does affect how well, or how badly, this state is run. And that should be kept in mind during meetings to be held today and Friday by the California Constitution Revision Commission. At these meetings, the 23-member commission will debate a dramatic revamping of the Constitution. Later it will present preliminary recommendations to Gov. Pete Wilson.

The most recent state budget logjam is one example of how the Constitution has a direct impact. A two-thirds vote of the Legislature is required for budget passage. California is the only state with the ridiculously high two-thirds requirement. In large part because of this hurdle, state budgets have been delayed for seven of the last 10 years. A minority in either the Assembly or the Senate can stall the process.

Rightly, the revision commission has recommended that Californians rethink this requirement and consider additional proposals that would reduce gridlock, increase accountability, speed governmental procedures and improve the structure of government.

The commission has a list of recommendations, some practical, some not, but here’s the real rub: The same two-thirds legislative vote required for a budget--along with the governor’s approval--is required to place the commission recommendations on the November, 1996, ballot. If thwarted by politics, perhaps the commission should use the initiative process to take its recommendations directly to the people. Often this process is abused, but in this special case there could be an initiative to end all initiatives.

The commission suggests changes in financing public education. Proposition 98 guarantees a chunk of state tax revenues to the public schools, yet our schools rank near the bottom in the nation in terms of achievement. Lack of money, certainly, isn’t the only cause of those embarrassing results. However, school districts need steady and predictable funding year after year regardless of the political or fiscal climate in Sacramento.

Local districts also need relief from obstacles that make raising local revenues difficult.

Voters approved the last major rewrite of the state Constitution in 1966. Of course, California has changed substantially since then. The state Constitution has far too many amendments, some of them dealing with tiny points, like making fishermen’s use of gill nets unconstitutional. It is a Christmas tree with too many ornaments. The Constitution Revision Commission aims to unclutter this document, and unclutter the governing process. Sacramento should support its effort.