Steven Greenhut on Fixing California's Broken Legislature

Many proposals to solve California's problems build on an understandable disdain for the state's legislators. For instance, some Republicans are promoting a "citizen legislature" idea that would turn California's full-time Legislature into a part-time body. If we can't get rid of them, the argument goes, we might as well put up with them only half of the year. Unfortunately, writes Steven Greenhut, such an approach, while offering an appealing poke-in-the-eye, will end up empowering the executive branch and lobbyist class. Something will fill the void while legislators are home earning a living.