CITIZEN ADVICE PANEL PUSHED IDEAS FOR REFORM WOULD GO ON BALLOT.

Byline: Steve Geissinger Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Taking a cue from Canada, Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Northridge, introduced a constitutional amendment last week that would establish a panel of citizens to suggest sweeping government reform.

The move - co-sponsored by Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, D-San Francisco - is patterned after a British Columbia system and would establish a Citizens Assembly of randomly chosen California voters to suggest reform on everything from redistricting and term limits to campaign finance and open primaries.

The move comes after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's reform efforts were handed a stinging defeat by voters, and years of efforts by the Legislature have made little progress.

``Should we give up on trying to reform and restore our democracy when everybody knows it's not working?'' Richman said of the proposal.

Under the Citizens Assembly plan, some 200 names would be randomly chosen from voter registration rolls in each of California's 80 Assembly districts. No politicians would be allowed to be involved, and all 16,000 voters would be able to decide whether to participate.

From that group, one woman and one man would be randomly chosen from each district for a total of 160 members. Ten more could be added to balance demographics.

The assembly would have a $20 million budget and members would receive $1,000 a month and travel expenses. Members would meet two weekends every month for a year to study various issues and conduct hearings.

The group's suggestions could be critiqued for three months by the Legislature, although lawmakers would not have the power to make changes.

The assembly would have the power to make its own changes to its recommendations, which would then go before voters.

Though such groups are being talked about worldwide, California would be the first U.S. state to try the idea.

Under term limits, Richman and Canciamilla will leave office this year - but both said they will pursue the concept of a Citizens Assembly even if it fails this year in the Legislature.

``Right now we're focusing on the legislative process. If that doesn't work, then we're going to have to address it through an initiative,'' Richman said.

But Bill Hauck, head of the California Business Roundtable, said that while he supports the idea he doubts it can succeed because it challenges a powerful status quo.

Others question whether regular citizens would be politically sophisticated enough to produce a plan that voters would embrace.

In British Columbia, proposals by the Citizens Assembly went to voters but fell short of the required 60 percent approval. The proposals are expected to be placed on the ballot again in two years.

Still, the proposal has gained the support of several groups, including the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles and the Institute of Governmental Studies at University of California at Berkeley.

``A Citizens Assembly would be one of the most innovative reforms in the past 100 years,'' said Robert Stern of the Center for Governmental Studies. ``It would allow nonplayers to have important input into how our government works and operates.''

``Californians broke the grip of the Southern Pacific Railroad 100 years ago when they adopted direct democracy,'' he said, referring to creation of the initiative process. ``Now is the time to strive once again for another year of reform like 1911.''

Steve Geissinger, [phone]

sgeissinger(at)angnewspapers.com