March: Six Initiatives Fail to Qualify; Six Begin Collecting Signatures

March was a mixed bag for ballot measures: Six failed to gain the signatures needed to qualify while six others won the green light to begin collecting signatures.

It’s unlikely any of the six measures that began collecting signatures in March will appear on the November ballot although a temporary tax increase backed by Gov.    Read more »

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To Qualify His New Initiative for the November Ballot, Gov. Brown Faces an Almost Impossibly Tight Deadline

Gov. Jerry Brown’s alliance with the California Federation of Teachers and their creation of a new hybrid tax increase measure means one less such proposal on the November ballot.

If it can get on the ballot.

An initiative seeking a spot on the November ballot must qualify by June 28.

The law sets the qualification deadline at 131 days prior to Election Day.    Read more »

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A New Study Examines the Effect of Ballot Placement

Ballot order affects candidate success, a recently released study of 7,846 California city council, community college and school district elections shows.

“In between four and five percent of the elections we examined, the candidate listed first won office as a result of her or his ballot position,” report Marc Meredith and Yuval Salant in their 41-page study, On the Causes and Consequences of Ballot Order Effects.    Read more »

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The Place of “Morality” in Public Policy

Morality can’t be legislated, the timeworn saying goes.

Two initiatives in circulation appear to attempt to do that — without defining what constitutes “moral.”

Like “reform,” morality tends to be in the eye of the beholder.

The two initiatives, which require 504,670 valid signatures before June 11 to qualify for the November ballot, use the word “moral” a total of eight times.    Read more »

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Couldn’t Resist: Gov. Brown Issues Short Statement on Think Long Committee’s Decision

SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. released the following statement in response to the Think Long Committee’s decision today to place a long-term tax reform measure on the 2014 ballot: 

“Think Long is doing very important work and I look forward to working with them on the critical issue of more permanent tax reform.”    Read more »

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A Bustling Month for Initiatives

November has been a banner month for direct democracy in California – Just ask the offices of the Attorney General and the Secretary of State.

Through November 29th, 26 proposed initiatives have been submitted to the Attorney General for title and summary. Some of the submissions are duplicates or revised versions of the same proposal.    Read more »

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“I Believe in America” — Please Send Money

Dear Friend,

The problem with President Obama and the liberals in Washington is they believe in the GOVERNMENT.

Their answer to every problem facing America is more government, more spending, more borrowing and more taxes.

I recently took the first step in a run for the White House by establishing a presidential exploratory committee.    Read more »

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Two Initiatives Cleared for Signature Gathering

The following two intiatives have been cleared for signature gathering. The first one, relating to the budget and  fiscal measures, amends the constitution and so requires 807,615 valid signatures. Proponents have until October 21. The second, relating to nuclear energy, is a proposed statutory change and so needs only 504,760 signatures.    Read more »

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Dude, Like the Bouquet on That Santa Cruz Skunkweed is Totally Piquant

This measure, sponsored by the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Committee, is awaiting title and summary from the state Attorney General prior to signature-gathering to qualify it for the ballot. Emphasis has been added to Section 1, 4 (B) and (C):

The People of the State of California do enact as follows:

The Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act of 2012

SECTION 1.     Read more »

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Secretary of State: This Initiative Didn’t Make the Ballot Cut

Makes It a Crime for Undocumented Persons to Seek Work While Concealing Their Immigration Status and Also Makes It a Crime for Any Employer to Hire an Undocumented Person Intentionally or Negligently.

     Read more »

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