Senator writes bill favoring seat for interested parties

State Sen. Tom Harman introduced a bill Friday that would mandate that the party responsible for putting an initiative on a state election ballot could have a seat at the table if the constitutionality of the measure is challenged.

The attorney general is charged with defending ballot initiatives in court, despite his or her political beliefs, and Harman thinks that can lead to a less-than-vigorous defense of some propositions.

Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown, for instance, is legally challenging Proposition 8, which passed in November’s election.

There is already a provision in the law allowing interested parties to intervene in constitutional challenges to ballot initiatives if permission is granted by a court, which it often is.

Harman feels that it should be a legal right, though. He may run for attorney general in 2010.

— Alan Blank