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DB12:074
June 26, 2012

Contact: Shannan Velayas
(916) 653-6575

Twelfth Measure Qualifies for November California Ballot

SACRAMENTO - California Secretary of State Debra Bowen today certified a twelfth measure for the November 6, 2012, General Election ballot. The measure, which would establish a two-year state budget cycle and make other changes to governmental processes, joins 11 other measures already on the November ballot:

  • A water bond measure, which was placed on the ballot by the Legislature;
  • A political contribution measure, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • An auto insurance measure, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • A measure to repeal the State Senate District maps, which qualified through the referendum process;
  • A measure to repeal the death penalty, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • A measure to increase criminal penalties for human trafficking, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • A measure to revise the three strikes law, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • A measure requiring the labeling of genetically engineered foods, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • A temporary tax measure, which qualified through the initiative process;
  • Another temporary tax measure, which qualified through the initiative process; and
  • A multistate business tax measure, which qualified through the initiative process.

In order to qualify for the ballot, the state budget initiative needed 807,615 valid petition signatures, which is equal to eight percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2010 gubernatorial election. A measure can qualify via random sampling of petition signatures if the sampling projects a number of valid signatures greater than 110 percent of the required number. The state budget initiative needed at least 888,377 projected valid signatures to qualify by random sampling, and it exceeded that threshold today.

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 county elections officials to verify 500 signatures or three percent of the number of signatures filed in the county, whichever is greater. Counties receiving fewer than 500 petition signatures are required to verify all the signatures filed in their elections offices.

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

STATE BUDGET. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE. Establishes two-year state budget cycle. Prohibits Legislature from creating expenditures of more than $25 million unless offsetting revenues or spending cuts are identified. Permits Governor to cut budget unilaterally during declared fiscal emergencies if Legislature fails to act. Requires performance reviews of all state programs. Requires performance goals in state and local budgets. Requires publication of all bills at least three days prior to legislative vote. Gives counties power to alter state statutes or regulations related to spending unless Legislature or state agency vetoes changes within 60 days. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Decreased state revenues and commensurate increased local revenues, probably in the range of about $200 million annually, beginning in 2013-14. Potential decreased state program costs or increased state revenues resulting from changes in the fiscal authority of the Legislature and Governor. Increased state and local costs of tens of millions of dollars annually to implement new budgeting practices. Over time, these costs would moderate and potentially be offset by savings from improved program efficiencies.(11-0068)

The proponent of this initiative, Sunne Wright McPeak, can be reached at (510) 346-6200.

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

Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter. To sign up for ballot measure updates via email, RSS feed or Twitter, go to www.sos.ca.gov/multimedia.

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