State Feed: California

California: After 100 years, does CA's initiative process need a tune-up?

AmandaKathryn — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:03:30 -0400

Paul Jacob, president of Virginia-based Citizens in Charge Foundation, may be the fiercest defender of direct democracy in America. He’s helped organize more than 150 petition drives in 47 states, and feels so strongly about the righteousness of the initiative process that he risked going to prison by defying an Oklahoma law prohibiting the use of paid signature-gatherers in that state.

When Jacob comes to California, he feels right at home. He gives the state’s initiative process an A grade.

Poll Shows Voters Fooled on Prop 28

Paul — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:02:12 -0400

(Lake Ridge, VA) … Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national non-partisan, non-profit foundation, today released a poll of California voters that shows a complete reversal of public sentiment on Proposition 28, which appears on this year’s June 5 ballot, when voters are given additional information not available in the measure’s official ballot title, and the group called on the California Legislature to reform the ballot title process to prevent voters from being tricked.

Maine Secretary of State Defends Process for Finalizing Measures

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:45:52 -0400

After receiving criticism last week, Maine Secretary of State defends the state’s process for placing a measure on the ballot in a special to the Bangor Daily News:

I didn’t know what to expect when I saw in the Sept. 3, Bangor Daily News my picture with your editorial headlined, “Tell Voters the Truth.” Having now read the editorial my reactions are:

Two Days Left for California Governor Brown to Veto 'Yellow Star' Bill

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:25:23 -0400

Supporters of initiative rights in California and beyond maintain hope that Gov. Jerry Brown will veto backwards legislation that would force any Californian petitioning her or his government to wear a large badge on their chest, a requirement dubbed a “Yellow Star Law.”

Two Days Left for California Governor Brown to Veto 'Yellow Star' Bill

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:25:23 -0400

California Gov. Brown Honored for Protecting Petition Rights

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:39:47 -0400

LAKE RIDGE, VA) - Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented California Gov. Jerry Brown with the August 2011 John Lilburne Award for protecting Californians’ right to petition by vetoing Senate Bill 168, which would have prohibited petition drives from paying petition circulators based on their productivity.

California: Crying Fire in a Crowded Democracy

AmandaKathryn — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:58:15 -0400

In the Dr. Seuss tale, the Grinch kept pressing himself, “I must find some way to keep Christmas from coming!” Then, the Grinch “got a wonderful awful idea.”

The same thing happened last week in California. A new Grinch-of-a-group with a shadowy identity started running a radio advertisement all across the state’s many expensive media markets. The apparent goal? To keep democracy from coming.

The group calls itself Californians Against Identity Theft (CAIT) and the radio spot is about identity theft. Well … sorta. Not really, though.

California: Legislators Cry, ‘Less power to the people’

AmandaKathryn — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:39:02 -0400

California legislators — who seem unable to come up with an honest balanced budget, who always seek tax increases, and who won’t pass even modest reforms to the state’s unfunded pension system or to anything else, for that matter — want to blame the government’s problems on voters, rather than themselves.

California: Big Labor-led Group Endorses Anti-Initiative Legislation

AmandaKathryn — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:36:33 -0400

Last week, an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee by Justine Sarver of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center urged California legislators to clampdown on the state’s initiative and referendum process by passing a number of new restrictions on the rights of Golden State citizens to petition their government.

California: Bills Take Aim at Paid Signature-Gatherers

AmandaKathryn — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:28:53 -0400

Democrats in the state Senate approved two bills Monday designed to shorten the reins on professional signature-gatherers who have come to dominate California’s initiative process.

Under one bill, individuals would have to wear large-print badges specifying whether they are volunteers or are being paid to collect voter signatures.

“It gives a little transparency,” Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, said of his bill.

SB448 also would require the badge to note whether the gatherer is registered to vote and, if so, where.

California: Legislators Should Not Wear Badges, Either

AmandaKathryn — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:22:04 -0400

Citizens in Charge strongly opposes any legislation requiring state legislators in California to wear—whenever speaking to members of the public—a large badge on their chests, which must read in no smaller than 30-point type, “Member of the California Assembly” or “Assemblymember” or “State Senator” or “Member of the California Senate.”

We also disagree with making legislators wear a large badge that reads in no smaller than 30-point type, “Paid Member of the California Assembly” or “Paid State Senator.”

California: Council gives green light to retirement benefits initiative

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:24:11 -0400

Redding will push ahead with a pair of ballot measures asking voters to curtail retiree benefits. The City Council voted 3-2 late Tuesday night to approve the measures for the Nov. 2 election. One initiative will ask voters if the council should enter negotiations asking workers to pay a portion of their California Public Employees’ Retirement System pensions. The requirement would be phased in over the length of the contract up for negotiation.

California: Police union submits new measure

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:49:42 -0400

Four days after turning in paperwork for an initiative that would have increased San Carlos police staffing and salaries — in addition to requiring voter approval for the city to contract for police services — the city’s police union submitted a revised proposal and admitted the original was a mistake. The revised proposal turned in Monday by the Police Officers Association keeps a section in the original that would prohibit the city from outsourcing police services without prior voter approval and reinstate the department if it is outsourced before the measure’s passage.

California: Parks-fee initiative makes November ballot

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:03:42 -0400

The votes haven’t even all been counted for the propositions on last Tuesday’s ballot, and yet another measure has been cleared for the general election. Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced last week that proponents of the so-called State Parks and Wildlife Conservation Trust Fund Act had submitted enough valid voter signatures to qualify it for the Nov. 2 ballot.

Read the story from The Sacramento Bee

Term Limits Issue Highlights Need for Citizen Initiative Rights

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:14:35 -0400

The Laguna Hills, California city council recently decided not to put a term-limits measure on the ballot for voters. They cited the fact that a citizen initiative campaign was already underway to put the measure on the ballot:

California: Council decides against term limits measure

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:36:59 -0400

The City Council has decided not to develop a ballot measure for voters in the November election that would impose term limits on council members. The council on Tuesday reviewed a report explaining the process for drafting the ballot measure, and a majority decided not to move forward with the initiative. No vote was taken on the issue.

Read the story from The Orange County Register

Citizen Initiatives Update

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:20:29 -0400

A quick update on the citizen initiative votes from yesterday in California and Maine.

California’s citizen initiatives, Prop 16 and 17, were both defeated at the polls yesterday. Prop 16 voted down by a 52.3% to 47.7% margin. Prop 17 lost 51.7% to 48.3%.

California: Open primary approved

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:17:57 -0400

California voters went to the polls Tuesday and recast future elections in the state by passing a ballot measure that creates open primaries, one of five propositions on the ballot. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who championed the open-primary measure called its passage a “historic change” that “sends a clear message that Californians are tired of partisan gridlock and dysfunction.”

Read the story from the Los Angeles Times

California: Auto Insurance measure loses

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 10:55:30 -0400

California voters defeated a measure Tuesday that would have changed state law to allow insurance companies to raise rates on drivers who let their coverage lapse while allowing insurers to award discounts to those who maintain continuous coverage. Supporters of Proposition 17 said the ballot initiative, sponsored mainly by Mercury Insurance, would lead to more competition and better rates for consumers who take advantage of “continuous coverage” discounts by sticking with insurers.

California and Maine Head to Polls

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:20:04 -0400

In addition to the many primary elections happening today around the country, voters in California and Maine are also voting on state-wide ballot questions.

California has 5 state-wide measures up for a vote today, but only two are citizen initiatives, Prop 16 and Prop 17.