The Title & Summary Ballot Test
There seems only one way to remove from the attorney general the power of writing ballot measure titles and summaries–through an initiative. The obvious problem—the attorney general gets to write the title and summary for such an initiative. You can imagine the result. Back in July, I wrote that new California Attorney General Xavier Becerra would […]
Don’t Have $2,000 to File a California Ballot Initiative? File in Europe Instead!
The California ballot initiative system used to provide a cheap way for regular citizens to get some attention for their ideas, be they good or bad. But that was back when it cost just $200 to file an initiative, and get it posted online with a title, summary and fiscal analysis. Even if you didn’t […]
Bills, Bills, Bills…The Tally
817 bills were introduced in the Senate in 2017. Of those, 514 bills were passed by the Senate, while only 3 were refused passage on the Senate Floor. That leaves 303 bills as 2-year measures which may be considered in January 2018. So, 63% of introduced bills passed out of the Senate, while .4% of […]
What a difference three days makes: How voters shook up California’s Legislature
Something was different this year. As lawmakers in Sacramento approached the last night of their session—the final opportunity to pass or kill bills for the year—they had had three days to figure out how to vote. Three days may not sound like much, given the magnitude of the decisions involved in shaping policy for 39 […]