Gallagher in uphill battle over Senate seats

It’s bound to be an uphill battle; and it’s meant to ruffle some feathers.

Assemblyman James Gallagher says his bill to reapportion Senate districts is intended to disrupt the status quo, which he says is needed to make government more responsive to the people.

Assembly Constitutional Amendment 16, labeled the Representational Equality Act, would reapportion Senate representation districts by geographic region rather than by population.

“This bill may be controversial to those in power who are interested in keeping the status quo,” Gallagher said. “But for those who want a more representative government, this bill is a move in the right direction.”

Disproportionate representation, Gallagher argues, leads to unfair legislation that overlooks the concerns of rural areas.

Supporters cite four pieces of legislation as examples: a statewide $15 minimum wage, reauthorization of the off-highway vehicle (OHV) program, the gas tax and caps to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in April 2016, the $15 minimum wage will become the standard by 2022.

Gallagher argues minimum wages should be regional. The law makes sense for metropolitan areas with higher cost of living expenses, but could hurt rural area businesses.

Referred to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations this past week, an amended version of a bill on the use of offhighway motor vehicle recreation is deemed unfair by Gallagher.

The bill’s intention of strengthening environmental law comes in direct conflict with a primarily rural recreation

activity. Gallagher argues urban majorities continue to penalize and over-regulate rural activities like fishing and hunting.

Two pieces of legislation signed by Brown in the last several months will raise the cost of gasoline, according to the Legislative Analyst Office.

A transportation funding and cap-andtrade bill, Gallagher argues, disproportionately harm rural residents reliant on traveling far distances to get to work.

“With more equal representation, these bills would have gone through a Senate where the Bay Area or Los Angeles didn’t have the most votes,” Gallagher said. “It would have improved those bills. At the very least, the impacts to more rural areas would have been minimized.”

Lack of representa- tion has also led to a failure to prioritize infrastructure projects related to water storage, transportation, dams, reservoirs, and levee systems, said Gallagher.

In addition, Gallagher said he is critical of a Legislature focused on defying the Trump Administration instead of addressing important issues vital to the entire state.

Gallagher’s bill is currently pending referral in the Assembly Rules Committee. If it passes, it will be referred to a policy committee, which will set a hearing date.

Constitutional amendments are not subject to deadlines, according to Katja Townsend, capitol director for Gallagher’s office. Townsend said the bill could be heard this year by a policy committee.

Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leon’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the bill.