On July 7, both the California Senate Elections Committee, and the Assembly Elections Committee, met and passed several bills of interest.
The Senate Committee passed both SCA 16 and AB 1121. SCA 16 provides for an indirect initiative. If proponents of a statutory change submit petitions with signatures of 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, the legislature must consider their idea. If the legislature and the proponents can’t agree on a proposal, proponents can return to the street and get another 2% of the last gubernatorial vote, and the measure appears on the ballot. The existing initiative requirement for a statutory change is 5%, so this bill does not make it more difficult to get an initiative on the ballot, and might make it easier, in a sense.
The Senate Committee also passed AB 1121, to let 10 non-charter cities or counties use Instant Runoff Voting for their own elections.
The Assembly Committee passed SB 34, which makes it illegal to pay initiative circulators per signature. The Governor’s Office took a position against the bill, which virtually guarantees that he will veto it if it reaches him.
I would like to see an indirect initiative on the ballot that forces legislatures to vote yes or no. No voting present or vote absent. Then if not passed by legislature and signed by governor then back to the street. The proposed bill sounds sensible enough.
What stops the legislature by continually delaying the initiative’s consideration and deadlocking its progress