Senator Suzette Martinez Valladares (R – Santa Clarita) has introduced an amendment to Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8 (ACA 8), which addresses redistricting for California’s Congressional District maps. The amendment aims to add ethical safeguards if the Legislature moves forward with changes to how district lines are drawn.
“If we are going to move forward with a law that takes redistricting power out of the hands of the voter-approved commission, then at the very least, we must put up meaningful safeguards against corruption,” said Valladares.
The proposed measure would prohibit any member of the Legislature who votes in favor of ACA 8 from running for elected office for ten years. This restriction is already applied to citizens serving on California’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.
“This amendment simply extends to every legislator who votes in favor of the measure, the same ten-year candidacy moratorium that applies to the citizens who currently draw the lines,” Valladares stated. “The people of California deserve ironclad guarantees that those in charge of redistricting aren’t acting in their own self-interest.”
California voters previously approved the creation of an independent commission after concerns about gerrymandering and political influence over district boundaries.
“Let’s be clear: you cannot in good conscience demand that ordinary citizens forfeit the right to run for office for a decade, and then exempt the politicians now reclaiming that power. There is a word for that—hypocrisy,” Valladares said.
Valladares described her amendment as a test of legislative values. “This is a test of whether this body values integrity over expediency, fairness over partisanship, and accountability over ambition.”
She added: “If ACA 8 is truly about fairness, then supporting this amendment should be a no-brainer. If everything is above board, what’s the objection? The people are watching, and they know a power grab when they see one.”
With today’s vote on ACA 8 pending, Valladares called on other lawmakers to support her proposal and maintain public trust in state government.
