Making Amendments

"Hiram Johnson and other reformers who introduced initiative amendments to California early in the 20th century wanted to supplement--and, yes, sometimes circumvent--the Legislature (with its time-consuming processes of deliberation and compromise), but they didn't want to replace it altogether. However, when constitutional amendment by initiative is as easy as we've made it, that's the effect. Why would any interest group with enough money to fund signature gathering and a campaign not prefer initiative amendment to legislative amendment?
"Recent history shows that groups understand this and increasingly opt for initiative amendments without presenting their ideas to the Legislature. Indeed, there has been a 30% increase in initiative amendments in the last decade."

In the Los Angeles Times, Edward L. Lascher, Jr., Floyd F. Feeney, and Tim Hodson call for changing how California amends its constitution.