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AP20:017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2020
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Replaces All Members of California Air Resources Board and Reallocates Its Funding If Certain Air Quality Standards Are Not Met. Initiative Statute.

SACRAMENTO, CA – Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures today.

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, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

REPLACES ALL MEMBERS OF CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD AND REALLOCATES ITS FUNDING IF CERTAIN AIR QUALITY STANDARDS ARE NOT MET. INITIATIVE STATUTE. If certain air quality standards are not met by July 1, 2023,the appointments of all California Air Resources Board members will terminate, twelve new members will be appointed by local air pollution control district boards, and all of the Board’s funds and revenues will be reallocated to local air pollution control districts for programs designed to achieve immediate air quality improvements. Eliminates two nonvoting Board member positions; requires twelve voting members be appointed by local air pollution control districts, rather than by the Governor. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: If certain air quality standards are not met, eliminates all state funding for CARB – $1.4 billion currently – for an unknown period of time; shifts some or all of this funding to local air districts. Potential loss of billions of federal dollars annually for state and local transportation projects for an unknown period of time. (19-0032.)

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1889 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 19-0032.

The proponent of the measure, Adolfo Ramos, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials no later than August 10, 2020*. The proponent can be reached at (818) 588-6632 and cleanairforca@gmail.com. The address for the proponent is 928 N. San Fernando Blvd, Suite J #213, Burbank, CA 91504.

* Date adjusted for official deadline, which falls on a Saturday (Elec. Code § 15)

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