Advocates of a new independent way for drawing political maps in California submitted their own proposed ballot initiative on the issue today after negotiations for a legislative change to the system failed to gain any traction this year at the state Capitol.

The initiative, filed by Kathay Feng of Common Cause California and Jeannine English of the AARP, would establish an independent citizens commission to draw state legislative districts.

It would not, however, have the new commission draw federal congressional districts — leaving that power with the Legislature. This was one of the big sticking points this year in Sacramento. Many California Democrats balked at any plan that might threaten their power base in Congress… or more specifically, the power base of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-SF). In fact, if this initiative were to make it to the ballot, the exclusion of Congress could possibly be enough for Democrats to keep their cash in their wallets… and not work to defeat it.

In a nutshell, the 14-member citizens commission would be comprised of 5 Democrats, 5 Republicans, and 4 independents. The commissioners would be selected through a process headed up by the California State Auditor, with legislative leaders able to reject some– but not most– of the nominees for the commission. And the criteria for drawing the state’s 120 legislative districts are pretty simple, requiring districts that would pass the muster of federal voting rights laws and would also, when possible, be as compact and community-based as possible.