The Attorney General prepares a title and summary of the chief purpose and points of an initiative. Initiatives are cleared for circulation on the day the title and summary is sent to the initiative proponent(s). No petition may be circulated for signatures before it has been cleared to do so by the Attorney General.
1592. (13-0002, Amdt. #2NS)
Tax on Oil and Natural Gas. Revenues to Education, Clean Energy, County Infrastructure and Services, and State Parks. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 04/25/13 | Circulation Deadline: 09/23/13 | Signatures Required: 504,760
Harrison J. Tibbetts (707) 495-7438
Imposes 9.5% tax on value of oil and natural gas extracted in California. During first ten years, allocates revenues: 60% to education for classroom instruction (split equally between UC, CSU, community colleges, and K-12 schools); 22% to clean energy projects and research; 15% to counties for infrastructure and public health and safety services; 3% to state parks. Thereafter, allocates 80% to education, 15% to counties, and 5% to state parks. Prohibits passing tax on to consumers through higher fuel prices. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Increased state revenues from a new oil and gas severance tax of $1.5 billion to $2 billion per year initially (which could either grow or decline over time), to be spent on public schools, colleges, and universities; clean energy research and development; local infrastructure projects; and state parks. (13-0002) (Full Text)
1591. (13-0001)
Tax to Fund Increased Oversight of Timber Industry. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 04/11/13 | Circulation Deadline: 09/10/13 | Signatures Required: 504,760
James D. Smith (707) 391-1740
Imposes harvest tax on timber and other forest products at rate of 33% of profits on product from public lands, 8% of profits on product from private lands. Exempts other forest products harvested on Native American lands, and timber harvested from private lands solely for private noncommercial use. Establishes department to collect and allocate tax, and oversee timber harvesting and environmental protection and restoration. Transfers Department of Forestry and Fire Protection timber harvest oversight responsibilities to new department. Prohibits use of new revenues by other state agencies or federal government. Fiscal impact: It is the opinion of the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance that the measure would result in a substantial net change in state finances. (13-0001) (Full Text)
1590. (12-0018)
Cigarette Tax to Fund Student Financial Aid at University of California and California State University. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 02/21/13 | Circulation Deadline: 07/22/13 | Signatures Required: 504,760
James C. Harrison c/o Thomas A. Willis (510) 346-6200
Increases cigarette tax by $1.00 per pack. Allocates revenues to expand financial aid for California residents enrolled at UC or CSU. If new tax causes decreased tobacco consumption, thus reducing existing tobacco-tax revenues, current tobacco funding for tobacco health education/research, medical care, environment, breast cancer research/services, early childhood development, and General Fund will be maintained by transferring new tax revenues to offset decrease. Requires annual independent audit and accounting. Establishes five-member oversight committee. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Additional annual state tax revenues of (1) $800 million from the cigarette excise tax increase of $1 per pack and (2) $45 million from the excise tax increase on other tobacco products triggered by the measure. The additional cigarette tax revenue would be spent on financial aid for resident students at the state’s public universities ($730 million) and backfilling losses to existing tobacco programs ($70 million). The additional revenue from other tobacco products would be used for other existing programs, including tobacco-prevention and education. (12-0018) (Full Text)
1589. (12-0016)
Nuclear Power. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 02/06/13 | Circulation Deadline: 07/08/13 | Signatures Required: 504,760
Ben Davis, Jr. (916) 833-7894 bendavis54@gmail.com
Extends statutory preconditions, currently applicable to new operation of any nuclear powerplant, to existing Diablo Canyon and San Onofre plants. Before further electricity production at these plants, requires California Energy Commission to find federal government has approved technology for permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste. For nuclear powerplants requiring reprocessing of fuel rods, requires Commission to find federal government has approved technology for nuclear fuel rod reprocessing plants. Both findings are subject to Legislature’s rejection. Further requires Commission to find on case-by-case basis facilities will be available with adequate capacity to reprocess or store powerplant’s fuel rods. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major impacts on state and local finances in the near term in the form of decreased revenues and increased costs due to near-term disruptions in the state’s electricity system and electricity price increases. The magnitude of these impacts would depend on the time to develop replacement power, the frequency and duration of rolling blackouts, and various related factors, such as electricity demand and weather conditions. Potential avoidance of major future state and local government costs and lost revenues in the rare event of a major nuclear plant incident. (12-0016) (Full Text)
1588. (12-0017)
Electricity. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 02/01/13 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/13 | Signatures Required: 504,760
Ben Davis, Jr. (916) 833-7894 bendavis54@gmail.com
Establishes publicly-owned California Electrical Utility District to provide electric service, replacing most investor-owned utilities, such as PG&E, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Bear Valley Electric. Exempts publicly-owned electric utilities, unless they voluntarily elect to join. Requires the District be divided into 11 wards, approximately equal in population. Establishes an 11 member board of directors–one member per ward–each elected for 4-year terms. Grants the District the power to acquire property, construct facilities necessary to supply electricity, set electricity rates, impose taxes, and issue bonds. Fiscal impact: It is the opinion of the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance that the measure would result in a substantial net change in state and local finances. (12-0017) (Full Text)
