GOVERNOR CONTINUES WORK ON REFORM ITEMS.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has three remaining major planks to his government reform agenda, after setting aside his pension reform proposal last week.

The proposed constitutional amendments, which he hopes to put on the ballot in a special election, would make sweeping changes if a majority of voters approve.

Here's a summary of the remaining amendments:

--Redistricting:

The governor endorsed a ballot measure written by political activist Ted Costa, the original sponsor of the recall movement against former Gov. Gray Davis.

It calls for a committee of three retired judges, appointed by legislative leaders, to draw up the boundaries of districts for elected members of Congress, the state Senate and Assembly and the Board of Equalization, a state tax panel. The Legislature approved the current boundaries.

If voters go along with the idea, new districts would be drawn up immediately without waiting for the next scheduled redistricting after the 2010 U.S. Census. The new maps would be submitted to voters for approval before taking effect for the next election.

``If you look around the state, you will see a crazy quilt of twisted districts that have nothing to do with the communities where people live, and everything to do with protecting incumbents,'' said Bill Mundell, chairman of the committee pushing the measure.

Opponents say it's a power grab by the governor after Republicans failed to gain seats in the last election.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuez, D-Los Angeles, argued that redistricting based on figures from the 2000 census would ignore the 2.7 million new residents the state has gained since then.

``If this initiative passes, it would have a very difficult time holding legal constitutional grounds,'' Nuez said.

--Teacher pay and tenure:

The governor proposes that school districts develop standards to judge teachers' performance, and then hire, pay and promote teachers based on performance rather than seniority.

He also wants to increase the amount of time it takes for teachers to earn tenure - five years instead of the current two years.

Margita Thompson, the governor's press secretary, said it would give teachers a greater incentive to ensure that students work hard.

``Half of our state budget is going to education and what is the return on that investment? Our children deserve better results,'' Thompson said.

She said performance-based pay will encourage good teachers to work at poorly-performing schools, and extending the time it takes to achieve tenure will provide a longer opportunity to ensure teachers are qualified before they are given secured employment.

Opponents say the proposal would be a disincentive for teachers to work in poorly-performing schools and would make their jobs too vulnerable.

``Teachers will ... be in competition with one another for that financial benefit,'' said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell. ``And that's not in the best interest of the students.''

--Budget reform:

The governor, who convinced voters to pass a weak version of a spending limit last year with Proposition 58, wants stricter limits on spending in years when state revenue is strong, to build up reserves for weak years.

Under his plan, the percentage growth in state spending would be limited to the average of revenue growth of the previous three years. Excess revenue would go to reserves, retiring debt and building infrastructure.

It would also give the governor new powers to make emergency mid-year spending cuts if revenue falls and the Legislature fails to pass adequate cuts. If the Legislature fails to pass the governor's budget or an amended version by the July 1 deadline, then his budget as proposed becomes law.

Critics say the plan gives the governor too much power and creates new ``autopilot'' spending measures even as Schwarzenegger attacks other measures that limit the flexibility of elected officials to craft a budget.

The governor also wants to reform the state pension system, by switching new state and local government employees to a 401(k)-style plan, instead of a traditional pension plan. But last week he decided to postpone that effort to the June 2006 ballot, rather than place it on the expected special election ballot this year.

He made that decision after being hammered by public safety unions who charged that the plan eliminated death and disability benefits for policemen and firefighters. Schwarzenegger said that was not his intent and he plans to rework the measure to include those benefits.

Staff Writer David M. Drucker contributed to this report.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com

TO LEARN MORE

--For more information about the governor's reform agenda, go online to www.citizenstosaveca.org, www.joinarnold.com or www.governor.ca.gov.

--For information from opponents, go to: www.californiafordemocracy.com.

--To look up the bills, go to www.leginfo.ca.gov.

--To look up initiatives, go to the secretary of state's Web site at www.ss.ca.gov or the attorney general's Web site at www.caag.state.ca.us/initiatives/activeindLine is overdrawn ex.htm.

--For the proposed reforms, here are the legislative bills and the corresponding initiatives:

--REDISTRICTING:

Bill: ACAx1 3, by Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield.

Ballot measure: The Voter Empowerment Act, by Ted Costa.

--BUDGET REFORM:

Bill: ACAx1 4, by Assemblyman Rick Keene, R-Chico.

Ballot measure: The California Live Within Our Means Act, by William Hauck and Allan Zaremberg.

--EDUCATION:

Bill: SCAx1 1, by Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster.

Ballot measures: The Excellence in Teaching Act, by Tony Strickland.

The Put Kids First Act, by Bonnie Garcia.

SOURCE: Daily News research

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