COUNCIL FAVORS MAJORITY VOTE FOR CHARTER PANEL.Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer Over Mayor Richard Riordan's objections, the City Council is poised to require a majority vote to elect charter reform commissioners rather than the plurality The opinion of an appellate court in which more justices join than in any concurring opinion. The excess of votes cast for one candidate over those votes cast for any other candidate. Appellate panels are made up of three or more justices. being sought by the mayor. A federal judge has ordered the council to act today to put a charter reform initiative on the April 8 ballot but left open how a 15-member charter reform commission would be elected on the same ballot. City Council members, including Ruth Galanter Ruth Galanter was a city councilwoman from Los Angeles. She served as President Pro-Tempore and President of the city council. , said Thursday that they expect to comply with the judge's order. But Galanter said she expects that the council will adopt an ordinance A law, statute, or regulation enacted by a Municipal Corporation. An ordinance is a law passed by a municipal government. A municipality, such as a city, town, village, or borough, is a political subdivision of a state within which a municipal corporation has been requiring commission members to be elected by a majority vote. That means that if no commission candidate gets a majority in April a runoff Runoff The procedure of printing the end-of-day prices for every stock on an exchange onto ticker tape. Notes: If the "tape is late" then it can take a long time to print off all the closing prices. of the top two vote-getters will be necessary in the June election. ``These are the people who are going to write the constitution of the city,'' Galanter said. ``The voters ought to be assured that they are elected by a majority of the voters in each district.'' In a letter to the whole council Thursday, Riordan said fairness dictates that the largest vote-getter in each council district be declared the commissioner for that district in April. ``To impose the cost and time burden of a runoff election on these Angelenos can only become a hindrance hin·drance n. 1. a. The act of hindering. b. The condition of being hindered. 2. One that hinders; an impediment. See Synonyms at obstacle. , if not a real obstacle, to those people who are not professional politicians,'' Riordan wrote. But council members said Thursday that they fear one well-financed candidate, possibly put up by the mayor, might be able to lead a field of a dozen candidates who are more representative of the council district. For instance, a white candidate might be able to get the most votes in a Latino council district if several Latinos split the vote. ``I think it's important because everything we've heard about the federal Voting Rights Act Voting Rights Act Act passed by the U.S. Congress in 1965 to ensure the voting rights of African Americans. Though the Constitution's 15th Amendment (passed 1870) had guaranteed the right to vote regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” is if you don't do it by majority vote, there is a potential for diluting minority representation,'' said Councilman Mike Feuer. Riordan said a runoff would hurt minorities the most in a race for a nonpaid, volunteer commission that will require long hours of the winners. ``I truly believe that those who most adversely would be affected are minority candidates who, history has shown, generally have a harder time raising campaign money,'' Riordan said. The council voted 8-7 on Tuesday to ask U.S. District Judge Mariana Pfaelzer Mariana Pfaelzer is a U.S. District Court Judge in the Ninth Circuit. She is probably best remembered for her role in striking down California's Proposition 187, which would have denied services to illegal aliens. to require that the election be held with a majority-vote requirement. But Pfaelzer ruled Wednesday that the mayor's charter reform initiative must be placed on the April ballot, and the issue of whether a majority vote is required could be decided later. A source close to the mayor said Riordan already is preparing to go back to court to ask that the election be held with a plurality vote once the council puts the charter issue on the April 8 ballot. If the council approves the ordinance setting the election rules, it will go to the mayor's desk for approval. ``It wouldn't make any sense to veto veto [Lat.,=I forbid], power of one functionary (e.g., the president) of a government, or of one member of a group or coalition, to block the operation of laws or agreements passed or entered into by the other functionaries or members. In the U.S. it,'' said the source close to the mayor. ``He would allow it to become law without signing it and then he will have to go to court to challenge it.'' Riordan telegraphed his court arguments in his letter, noting that state law ``seems to contemplate a plurality vote.'' However, council members Mike Hernandez and Nate Holden Nathaniel "Nate" R. Holden (1929-) served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1987 to 2002. He previously served a term on the California State Senate and was Assistant Chief Deputy to then Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. said they are confident that a court would uphold up·hold tr.v. up·held , up·hold·ing, up·holds 1. To hold aloft; raise: upheld the banner proudly. 2. To prevent from falling or sinking; support. 3. the majority-vote requirement. |
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