Governor Schwarzenegger took a break from filming Terminator 6 to support comprehensive redistricting reform and advocate for Citizens Redistricting Commissions. Speaking from Budapest, Hungary, Governor Schwarzenegger encouraged voters in Missouri, Michigan, Colorado and Utah to take advantage of the initiative process to terminate gerrymandering in their respective states. “I am incredibly excited by the citizen-powered movements that are working to terminate gerrymandering," said Schwarzenegger. "Thanks to the action being created in Missouri, Michigan, Colorado and Utah, the redistricting reform movement grows stronger and even more likely to succeed at the national level.” Later in the month, Schwarzenegger plans to return to the United States to campaign for these initiatives and educate the public on the positive benefits of redistricting reform.
Schwarzenegger has long supported redistricting reform efforts both federally, and in his home state of California. In November 2008, with the help of good government groups like Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and AARP, he succeeded in passing a ballot initiative that created an independent 14-person commission to draw boundaries for the California State Legislature. The board is composed of five Democrats, five Republicans, and four others selected through a nomination process overseen by the state auditor.
Both the Democratic and Republican Parties opposed redistricting reform in California and fought against the ballot initiative to create the Citizens Redistricting Commission. However, according to a recent report from the PPIC, legislative districts in California are fair to each major party and have produced more competitive elections than those that took place before the reform went into effect.