Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s California Dream Team laid a cool quarter million dollars on the Yes on 11 campaign’s account and Stanford University physicist Charles Munger Jr. — son of Berkshire Hathaway billionaire Charles T. Munger — gave $117,000 yesterday; earlier this month, former laundry service magnate William Bloomfield Jr. of Manhattan Beach anted up $33,000 on Jan. 15, and Cypress Land Company president Brian Harvey of Los Angeles gave $50,000 on Jan. 12.

Meanwhile, the Voter Education and Research Fund – a independent committee backed by former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland – put $38,000 into the No on 11 campaign’s coffers Tuesday, atop $12,500 it had chipped in back on Jan. 9. Nice to see Perata and his friends at VERF didn’t skip out on the bills entirely, given Perata moving $1.9 million in November and December from his Leadership California committee – which ostensibly had been raising money to help combat Proposition 11 – into his own legal defense fund for use in fending off a years-long federal corruption probe.

Proponents argue that such a holiday would improve turn-out. Voters could freely show up at their precincts without the hassle of leaving home early or getting out of the office in time to vote.

Sounds good to me. I’m heartily in favor of anything that boosts voter turn-out and gives me a day off at the same time. Oh, wait, I guess I would be working anyway.

Read more for the press release from the Secretary of State on the initiative:

Election Day Holiday Initiative Enters Circulation

Election Day Holiday. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced that the proponent of a new initiative may begin collecting petition signatures for his measure.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for this measure is as follows:

ELECTION DAY HOLIDAY. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Declares a state holiday on Election Day – the Tuesday following the first Monday in November during even-numbered years. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Increased state costs once every two years of up to $20 million. (Initiative 08-0013.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1345 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 08-0013.

The proponent for this measure, Roy Benson, must collect signatures of 433,971 registered voters – the number equal to 5% of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election – in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 150 days to circulate petitions for this measure, meaning the signatures must be collected by January 2, 2009.

The initiative proponent can be reached at royrbenson@stateholiday.net. No phone number was provided.

To view this and other Secretary of State press releases, go to http://www.sos.ca.gov/admin/news-releases.htm.

YES – Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.

YES – Treatment of Farm Animals. Statute.

YES – Children’s Hospital Bond Act. Grant Program. Statute.

NO - Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. Constitutional Amendment.

YES – Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute. *

NO - Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute.

NO - Renewable Energy. Statute.

NO - Limit on Marriage. Constitutional Amendment.

NO - Criminal Justice System. Victims’ Rights. Parole. Constitutional Amendment and Statute. *

NEUTRAL - Bonds. Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Renewable Energy. Statute.
NO – Redistricting. Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

*NOTE: a press release sent yesterday incorrectly stated the CDP’s position on two propositions.  On the Criminal justice system, victims’ rights initiative, the correct position is NO.  And on the sentencing of violent offenders initiative, the correct position is YES.

]]> http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2008/06/18/california-democratic-party-takes-initiative-positions/feed/ 0 http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2008/06/10/10th-ballot-measure-headed-for-november-ballot/ http://www.ibabuzz.com/politics/2008/06/10/10th-ballot-measure-headed-for-november-ballot/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 23:16:39 +0000 lvorderbrueggen http://www.ibabuzz.com/insidepolitics/2008/06/10/10th-ballot-measure-headed-for-november-ballot/ The November election ballot is getting heavy.

The 10th statewide ballot initiative has been certified, a bond measure for alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy.

The other nine, per the Secretary of State, are a high-speed rail bond; a measure relating to the treatment of farm animals; a children’s hospital bond; a parental notification for abortion measure; a measure involving the sentencing of nonviolent offenders; a measure regarding increased criminal penalties and public safety funding; a measure creating renewable energy generation requirements for utilities; a measure that would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as “between a man and a woman;” and a measure involving victims’ rights in the criminal justice system.

An additional 18 measures are pending signature verification and counts or proponents are still gathering signatures.

Oh joy.

This ballot may end up heavy enough to double as a tire chock after the election. But heck, it’s not all bad. All that money earmarked for promoting and fighting these measures will help keep the state’s political consultants employed during these tough economic times.

Read more for the full text of the Secretary of State’s press release today:

SACRAMENTO - Secretary of State Debra Bowen today certified the tenth initiative for the November 4, 2008, General Election ballot. It is a bond measure for alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy.

The first nine propositions to qualify for the November ballot were a high-speed rail bond; a measure relating to the treatment of farm animals; a children’s hospital bond; a parental notification for abortion measure; a measure involving the sentencing of nonviolent offenders; a measure regarding increased criminal penalties and public safety funding; a measure creating renewable energy generation requirements for utilities; a measure that would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as “between a man and a woman;” and a measure involving victims’ rights in the criminal justice system.

In order to qualify for the ballot, the tenth measure needed 433,971 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 5% of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 General Election. The initiative proponents submitted 779,346 signatures in an attempt to qualify the measure, and it qualified through the random sample signature check.

County elections officials have 30 working days to verify the validity of the signatures filed with their offices using a random sampling method. The state Elections Code requires elections officials to verify 500 signatures, or 3% of the number of signatures filed in their county, whichever is greater. Counties receiving fewer than 500 petition signatures are required to verify all the signatures filed in their offices.

A measure can qualify via random sampling, without further verification, if the sampling projects a number of valid signatures greater than 110% of the required number. This measure needed at least 477,369 projected valid signatures to qualify by random sampling, and it exceeded that threshold today with 481,717 projected valid signatures.

The Attorney General’s official title and summary of the initiative is as follows:

• BONDS. ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES AND RENEWABLE ENERGY. STATUTE. Authorizes $5 billion in bonds paid from state’s General Fund, allocated approximately as follows: 58% in cash payments of between $2,000 and $50,000 to purchasers of certain high fuel economy and alternative fuel vehicles; 20% in incentives for research, development and production of renewable energy technology; 11% in incentives for research and development of alternative fuel vehicle technology; 5% in incentives for purchase of renewable energy technology; 4% in grants to eight cities for education about these technologies; and 3% in grants to colleges to train students in these technologies. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State costs of about $9.8 billion over 30 years to pay both the principal ($5 billion) and interest ($4.8 billion) costs on the bond. Payments of about $325 million per year. Increase in state sales tax revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to beyond 2018. Increase in local sales tax and VLF revenues of an unknown amount, potentially totaling in the tens of millions of dollars, over the period from 2009 to about 2018-19. Potential state costs of up to about $10 million annually, through about 2018-19, for state agency administrative costs not funded by the measure. (Initiative 07-0101.)

The proponents for this measure, Allison Hart, Mitzi Dudley, and Thomas Daly, can be reached at (213) 624-6200.

The last day to qualify a measure for the November General Election ballot is June 26.

For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, go to http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/initiative_guide.htm.

To view this and other Secretary of State press releases, go to: http://www.sos.ca.gov/executive/press_releases/news_releases.htm.

“‘Voters First’ puts minority voters last,” said Arturo Vargas, executive director of tge National Association Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. “The (initiative) is a flawed strategy for achieving open and accountable redistricting in California. It fails to guarantee diversity, expertise or accountability within the commission it creates, and represents a step backwards for the political progress of California’s minorities.”

The governor is backing a ballot measure called the California Voters First initiative that would strip the Legislature of its authority to draw legislative district boundaries and turn it over to an independent commission.

Read on for the civil rights groups’ press release:

Civil Rights Organizations Denounce California Redistricting Initiative as a Fundamentally Flawed Attempt at Reform

Groups find ballot measure fails to protect the interests of minority voters

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today, some of the nation’s leading civil rights organizations held a joint press conference to denounce the California Voters First Initiative (CVFI), a flawed redistricting proposal that is worse than the current system and will impede genuine redistricting reform.

Participating groups include Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), National Association Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund (NALEO) and William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI).

The initiative separates legislative and Congressional line drawing into two separate redistricting authorities and processes, where the state legislature maintains authority over Congressional redistricting and the proposed commission has authority over state legislative and Board of Equalization redistricting. This two-track system makes it more difficult for community groups to provide meaningful public input to the redistricting process because it will likely result in separate and simultaneous redistricting processes that will compete for public input but will result in diminishing it.

“‘Voters First’ puts minority voters last. The CVFI is a flawed strategy for achieving open and accountable redistricting in California. It fails to guarantee diversity, expertise or accountability within the commission it creates, and represents a step backwards for the political progress of California’s minorities,” stated Arturo Vargas, Executive Director of NALEO Educational Fund. “Its provisions will create barriers for public participation in the redistricting process and will jeopardize opportunities for Latinos to achieve full representation in the state,” he added.

“The CVFI is full of unrealistic goals, harmful rules, and complex systems that would impede competent redistricting by commissioners and limit involvement by members of the public – minorities in particular – and experienced line drawers alike,” said William C. Velasquez Institute President Antonio Gonzalez. “While the California redistricting process is in dire need of reform, the CVFI is a flawed ballot measure that contains numerous suspect provisions that taken in concert will potentially harm the state for the next 100 years.”

“Over the past four decades, MALDEF has been involved in various statewide and local redistricting campaigns and has witnessed incumbent self-protection at the expense of the Latino community. We acknowledge the need for redistricting reform that guarantees the protections of the Voting Rights Act, a redistricting commission that reflects California’s racial, ethnic and gender diversity and that ensures meaningful public participation. Unfortunately, the CVFI does not guarantee these principles and we oppose it,” said Nancy Ramirez, Western Regional Counsel of MALDEF.

“Any proposal to reform redistricting in California must ensure that racial minorities have the ability to fully participate in every phase of the process and protect opportunities to elect candidates of their choice. This is crucial to our democracy. The structure and decision rules of the CVFI raise questions about how this would play out,” stated John Payton, LDF President and Director-Counsel.

The CVFI has until May 15 to obtain the required number of signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Founded in 1968, MALDEF, the nation’s leading Latino legal organization, promotes and protects the rights of Latinos through litigation, advocacy, community education and outreach, leadership development, and higher education scholarships. For more information on MALDEF, please visit: www.maldef.org.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) is America’s legal counsel on issues of race. Through advocacy and litigation, LDF focuses on issues of education, voter protection, economic justice and criminal justice. We encourage students to embark on careers in the public interest through scholarships and internship programs. LDF pursues racial justice to move our nation toward a society that fulfills the promise of equality for all.

The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. The NALEO Educational Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose constituency includes the more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide.

The William C. Velásquez Institute (WCVI) is a tax-exempt, non-profit, non-partisan public policy analysis organization chartered in 1985. The purpose of WCVI is to: conduct research aimed at improving the level of political and economic participation in Latino and other underrepresented communities; To provide information to Latino leaders relevant to the needs of their constituents; To inform the Latino leadership and public about the impact of public policies on Latinos; To inform the Latino leadership and public about political opinions and behavior of Latinos.

In this photo, he’s stumping for signatures in a Sacramento restaurant for his California Voters First Act.

The act would strip state legislators of the power to draw their own political boundaries. It would create a 14-person independent citizens commission comprised of five Democrats, five Republicans and four individuals not registered as a member of either major party to draw district boundaries for the Senate, Assembly and Board of Equalization.

The Legislature would continue to draw congressional district boundaries in an apparent effort to avert a political fight with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that “first we wanted to take care of what’s going on here in California with the legislative seats.”

Every decade following the Census, states redraw their political boundaries to reflect population shifts. Election reform advocates have long called for an end to putting that job in the hands of the same lawmakers who benefit from the outcome, a system that allows political parties to carve out safe seats and preserve party numbers.

Schwarzenegger in 2005 endorsed an initiative that would have turned over redistricting to a panel of judges but voters were suspicious of giving the power to judges and handily rejected it. The governor and state political leaders later vowed to link to term limit and redistricting reform but neither side fulfilled their promise. Instead, Democrats promoted an unsuccessful term limit modification measure in February.

Now, Schwarzenegger has teamed up with Democrat and former California Controller Steve Westly, the AARP, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, California Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters of California to put the California Voters First Act on the ballot in November.

For more information on the proposed ballot measure, check out www.cavotersfirst.org.

Photo provided by governor’s campaign: Governor Schwarzenegger and Former Controller Steve Westly greet diners at a Sacramento restaurant and ask them to join them in supporting the California Voters FIRST Act which would reform California’s redistricting process. Photo Credit: John Decker

http://igs.berkeley.edu/library/hot_topics/2008/introfeb2008.html

All seven ballot measures are covered, including:

- Narrative overviews with historical background and legal aspects

- Arguments for and against

- Links to official voter information from the California Secretary of State

- Links to key websites, polls, editorials, and newspaper articles

- A table of endorsements by organizations and newspapers

The website is intended as a resource for voters, journalists, students and scholars and it will be updated as the election approaches.