by Assemblymember John Laird (D-Santa Cruz)

Statewide, and especially here in Santa Cruz County, an informed electorate spoke forcefully Nov. 8 with a strong rejection of the Governor’s initiatives. Not merely a partisan ballot box battle, the outcome instead was a defeat of poorly thought-out measures. The question now is whether the message sent by voters can be translated into affirmative proposals to address the state’s problems.

Democratic legislators in Sacramento will soon make proposals to carry into the next legislative session. Likely among them will be another push for the legislation recently vetoed by the Governor for both a minimum wage increase and extending health insurance to all California kids under the age of eighteen. And there will be proposals to continue bond support for the environment and housing, and address our aging infrastructure—crumbling levees, an over-burdened water system, insufficient transportation structures, etc.

Following the Special Election, there is also a good opportunity for genuine reform in campaign finance and the creation of a redistricting process that is not a power grab by one party over the other. The so-called “California Clean Money Campaign” now stands a better chance of becoming reality. And, just days after the special election, discussions about a new redistricting process are already underway in Sacramento. One plan calls for the creation of a bi-partisan commission with members appointed by legislative leaders as well as the governor.

Also, the overwhelming rejection by voters of the Governor’s budget and education financing measure (Proposition 76) should be interpreted as strong voter support for education in California—we must restore full state support for the education funding guarantee known as Proposition 98. Here locally, the landslide victory for Measures A and B shows just how strongly this community feels about investing in our public schools.

As much as it was a rejection of the Governor’s initiatives, the Special Election also presented an important opportunity for California. In the weeks and months ahead, we must stay active as a community and use this opportunity to make a real difference for education, the environment and working people here and across the state.