Hobbyhorse!

You get to stay, Assembly. For now.

Harold Meyerson rides my very favorite public hobbyhorse this morning -- unicameral state legislatures:

In this spirit of reinvention, then, permit me a few modest queries: Why in the world do we have a two-house Legislature?

What does the state Senate do that the Assembly doesn't, and vice versa? In the name of fostering transparency, ending gridlock, curtailing backroom deals and creating a more responsive government, why doesn't California just abolish the Senate and create a larger Assembly?

Right! It would be one thing if State Senates did something different -- they weren't term-limited, or something. But as it is it's just a duplicate assembly. I think it would help voters, too, if they only had one state legislator to keep track of; it might add stakes to state elections which tend to fly under the radar. And it could happen if we have a constitutional convention in California (or CalConCon)!