Free Republic

The defeat next month of the state proposition that seeks to prohibit same sex marriages could mean hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in personal, business and government revenue from same-sex weddings over the next three years in Sonoma County, according to a study released today. The report was prepared by Sonoma State University’s Center for Regional Economic Analysis and was paid for by a grant from the Horizons Foundation, a philanthropic social justice organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in the Bay Area. Details of the report were highlighted by Robert Eyler, Chair of Sonoma...

California Proposition 8 Too Close To Call: In a vote today, 10/06/08, on California's Proposition 8 Ballot Initiative, which would change California's constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry, approximately half the state supports the measure, half the state opposes the measure, according to this latest SurveyUSA poll conducted for KABC-TV Los Angeles, KPIX-TV San Francisco, KGTV-TV San Diego, and KFSN-TV Fresno. The exact findings are: 'Yes' (to change the law) 47%, 'No' (to leave the law alone) 42%. But: polling on ballot measures in general is an inexact science, and polling on homosexuality in general is...

SAN FRANCISCO—The campaign supporting a November ballot initiative that would ban same-sex marriage in California has raised more than $25 million. Frank Schubert, co-manager of ProtectMarriage.com, said nearly $23 million of the total has come in since the measure qualified for the Nov. 4 ballot in June. Groups working for and against initiatives faced a midnight Monday deadline to report their campaign finance activity through the end of September. As of Sept. 30, ProtectMarriage had $12.8 million cash on hand, despite having spent more than $10 million on securing air time for its television ads. Proposition 8 would amend the...

As reform measures go, Proposition 11 -- the redistricting reform measure -- is hardly a transformational law likely to supercharge activists (of any political stripe) eager to make Sacramento more effective and more accountable to the public. Proposition 11 is too complicated and too tame. Alas, it is the only measure on the November ballot that can improve the political climate in California. See how low the mighty have fallen. If Proposition 11 does not pass, it will signal yet another victory for entrenched state lawmakers, as it will bolster the system in place since the last redistricting in 2001,...

In what is becoming the most religiously charged proposition on the Nov. 4 ballot, Christian ministers yesterday highlighted what may be the central question for them – whether God only wants marriage to be between a man and a woman or if it is right to expand the definition to include same-gender couples. ... Morelli supports Proposition 8, the ballot measure that would overturn the state Supreme Court's decision in May to allow gays and lesbians to marry in California. “We are to obey God's will,” Morelli said. The Rev. Gloria Espeseth of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in San Diego disagreed,...

The California Catholic Conference of Bishops supports Proposition 4, the constitutional amendment initiative entitled, Waiting Period and Parental Notification before Termination of Minor's Pregnancy, which will appear on the November 2008 ballot. The proposition would require notification of a parent, guardian, or in the case of alleged parental abuse, other adult family member of a minor 48 hours before she obtains an abortion, unless a judge determines that such notification places the minor in danger. Proposition 4 contains public policy that is both sensible and realistic and which will benefit not only our families but our society as a whole....

SACRAMENTO — If you want a less-polarized Legislature — if you want lawmakers who can actually compromise to get things done, such as agreeing on a budget — redistricting reform is not the answer. That's the finding of a report released Tuesday night by the Public Policy Institute of California, throwing into doubt the campaign message of Proposition 11, which would take the power to draw political boundaries away from lawmakers and hand it to a 14-member commission. Proponents have argued that the measure, which is on the Nov. 4 ballot, would rid Sacramento of the partisan bickering by setting...

Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who promised not to sign any bills until lawmakers reach a budget deal, reversed his position today and signed a bill for a statewide bullet train system that he strongly supports. The governor also wants to make exceptions for three other proposals that he has been promoting: budget reform; changing the state lottery to allow California to borrow against future ticket sales; and a bond proposal for water infrastructure. The high-speed rail legislation will replace a $10 billion bond measure on the November ballot with a revised version of the proposal that makes the bullet...

Sacramento, CA (AP) -- Backing off his pledge to sign no bills before lawmakers adopt a state budget, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday approved legislation designed to strengthen wording of the high-speed rail bond measure on the Nov. 4 ballot.

TV commercials touting a new clean energy strategy and an environmental ballot measure in California both have one thing in common: if they succeed, they'll make investors – from "big oil" to the U.S. Capitol – a lot of money. The ads champion Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens' "Pickens Plan" to move our nation from foreign oil dependence to domestically produced wind power and natural gas fuel for automobiles. The plan is touted as a cleaner, more eco-friendly alternative to our current reliance on coal power and gasoline. The ballot initiative is California's Proposition 10, known as the California...

Pacific Gas and Electric Company has made a shareholder contribution of $250,000 to the Vote No on 8 – Equality for All campaign, and the utility will be approaching other businesses to join the fight to defeat the ballot measure. At an event at PG&E's headquarters Tuesday, July 29, Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, said that businesses have stood with the LGBT community in efforts to win equality, and "that's going to get us victory." "Businesses understand why this is important ... and they understand it's the right thing to do," he said, noting the value of equality...

Sacramento, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Abortion advocates in California are going after a state ballot proposition that would allow parental notification on abortions. They are saying the measure's ballot summary should be changed because the teen the law is named after was married at the time of the abortion that killed her.Named for a 15-year-old girl who died just four days after a legal abortion left her with a torn cervix and fatal infection, Sarah's Law, if approved, will protect the health and safety of young girls.The California Secretary of State qualified Sarah's Law for the November ballot after backers submitted...

The wildfires that have burned more than 1 million acres are the most visible symptom of another long, hot, dry summer in California. Less visible, though no less devastating, are the effects that the prolonged drought has on the state's water supply and environment. Although no one disagrees on the urgent need to fight the fires, there has long been sharp disagreement about how to address California's chronic water shortage. The time has come to break the stalemate. So, in the spirit of bipartisan cooperation, earlier this month we offered a compromise water bond package for the Legislature's consideration. We...

Supporters of Proposition 8, the proposed state constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, said they would file suit today to block a change made by California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to the language of the measure's ballot title and summary. Petitions circulated to qualify the initiative for the ballot said the measure would amend the state Constitution "to provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." In a move made public last week and applauded by same-sex marriage proponents, the attorney general's office changed the language to say that Proposition 8...

They're putting questions on state ballots designed to turn out GOP voters. Social and religious conservatives are placing an increasingly large wager on a strategy they believe may overcome their constituents' lack of enthusiasm for Sen. John McCain, giving him a competitive edge over Sen. Barack Obama even in states as deeply blue as California. Essentially, the strategy is a reprise of one Karl Rove used to push George W. Bush to victory in 2004, when he helped place measures banning same-sex marriage on the ballot in 11 key states. The Republican incumbent carried them all as religious conservatives --...

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A judge said Friday that it was legal for Oakland city and elected officials to mislead voters about a 2004 ballot measure that promised to hire police officers, saying that his hands are tied by an appellate court ruling. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch said the key factor in deciding whether the city of Oakland should be allowed to continue collecting taxes authorized by Measure Y is the language of the ballot measure itself, not what was said in chapter headings or in election materials distributed to voters. Marleen Sacks, an attorney who lives in...

Propositions that are on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot* Bond MeasureProposition 1 SB 1856 (Chapter 697, 2002). Costa. Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.** **Note: The Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century was originally scheduled to appear on the November 2, 2004, General Election ballot. Subsequently, Senate Bill 1169, Chapter 71, Statutes of 2004, provided that it appear on the November 7, 2006, General Election ballot. However, most recently, Assembly Bill 713, Chapter 44, Statutes of 2006, provides for the submission of this Act on the November...

In a press release issued last week, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and Equality California claimed that a November ballot initiative that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman is unconstitutional. The four groups filed a petition with the state Supreme Court on June 20, asking it to remove the initiative from the ballot because, “the rules for revising the California Constitution were not properly followed.” [[Volokh062808.jpg]]The argument of the four groups against the initiative turns on the distinction in constitutional law between an amendment and a...

Two major ballot initiatives, each emphasizing the need for clean power and renewable energy amid the public's rising concerns over greenhouse gases, will confront California voters in November. On their face, they appear to be straightforward environmental proposals. But all is not what it seems. One initiative is being bankrolled by the nation's largest purveyor of vehicular natural gas. And though it's being sold as an environmentally friendly initiative, the measure's sponsor--as well as other energy purveyors--presumably could make millions of dollars if it is approved by voters.

On November's ballot in CA we will have two very important propositions. The Marriage Amendment and Sarah's Law which is a parental notification law. Please, please, please view this 60 second video and pass it on to everyone you know. Please go to www.FriendsOfSarah.com for more information. Also see National Organization for Marriage California

CALIFORNIA'S voters, unlike their counterparts in Massachusetts, will have the last word on what marriage means in their state. When the highest court in Massachusetts conjured up a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, 170,000 Bay State voters petitioned for an amendment to the state constitution that would restore the age-old definition. Their effort died on the vine when the Legislature derailed the measure before it could reach the ballot. But citizen initiatives aren't so easily thwarted in California, where last week the state supreme court, in a 4-3 ruling, likewise overturned the timeless understanding of marriage as a union of...

Changes since the last update: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1310. (07-0081) Nonviolent Offenders. Sentencing, Parole and Rehabilitation. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1326. (07-0094, Amdt. #1S) Criminal Penalties and Laws. Public Safety Funding. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1304. (07-0066, Amdt. #1S) Renewable Energy. Statute. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election 1298. (07-0068) Limit on Marriage. Constitutional Amendment. Qualified for the November 4, 2008 General Election Propositions that are on the November 4, 2008 General Election Ballot Bond MeasureSB 1856 (Chapter 697, 2002). Costa. Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the...

Sleight-of-hand relies heavily on misdirection and distraction. The Proposition 99 campaign tries the same trick on voters, attempting to get Californians to look only where it wants, while ignoring the most important issues in eminent domain reform. Proposition 99 was crafted because Proposition 98 had qualified for the ballot with a good chance of winning, backed by many documented abuses of emotionally appealing “little guys” steamrollered by the politically powerful—i.e., to defend the beneficiaries of eminent domain abuse against real reform. 99 does nothing to restrict eminent domain to justifiable public uses. It “protects” only owner-occupied primary residences, while undermining...

In the battle over two state propositions on Tuesday's ballot that would restrict government seizure of private property, nearly a majority of California voters support the more limited Proposition 99 while giving thumbs down to Proposition 98, which would abolish rent control, according to a Field Poll released today. A survey of 660 likely voters conducted May 17-26 found 48 percent favoring Prop. 99, with 30 percent opposed and 22 percent undecided, according to the poll results. Those supporting Prop. 98 stood at 33 percent, with 43 percent opposed and 24 percent undecided. Field Poll Director Mark DiCamillo said he'd...

In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Connecticut city's right to seize through eminent domain the waterfront homes of long-time residents for private development. The court held that, like the construction of schools and roads, economic development itself constitutes a "public use" under the Fifth Amendment. Both liberals and conservatives were outraged. As dissenting Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote, "The specter of condemnation hangs over all property. Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory." Some 40 states responded by passing...

Both sides allege tainted funds in duel over Propositions 98, 99. In the June 3 ballot showdown over governments' power to take private property, both sides agree on one thing: Their opponents rely on tainted money that reveals their true motives.One side gets much of its money from landlords and mobile home park owners that stand to benefit from Proposition 98's ban on rent control.The other side opposes Proposition 98 and supports a far less restrictive initiative, Proposition 99. Much of its campaign money comes from local government groups that resist major curbs on their use of eminent domain. Both...

SAN FRANCISCO - The California Supreme Court ruling legalizing gay marriage will not be the last word. California voters will almost certainly hold a referendum on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in November, and for the first time anywhere in the U.S., the vote will have a direct and immediate effect on gay couples waiting to tie the knot. The amendment needs a simple majority to pass, and if the voters reject gay marriage, their decision will supersede the high court’s. There are signs the contest’s outcome will be close.

Bond measure to improve children's hospitals on ballot A $980 million bond measure aimed at modernizing and expanding children's hospitals in California has qualified for the November ballot.

SACRAMENTO, (AP) -- Barbara Gonzel has lived in a two-bedroom duplex in northwest Los Angeles for 13 years, protected from the region's soaring housing costs by the city's rent-control ordinance. That could change, and Gonzel could find herself paying hundreds of dollars more in monthly rent, if voters approve one of two property rights initiatives on the June 3 primary election ballot. One of the measures, Proposition 98, is supported by landlords and business owners and contains a provision that would phase out local rent-control ordinances for apartments, duplexes and mobile home parks. It also would eliminate tenant-protection rules that...

The View - Yes on Prop. 98/No on Prop. 99 - The Battle to Restore Private Property Rights Since California has failed to join more than 40 states in reforming its eminent domain statutes, a diverse group of business, farm and taxpayer organizations have taken a leading role in restoring private property protections for California business property by qualifying Proposition 98, the California Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act, for the June 2008 ballot. It is well documented that business owners are the most common victims of eminent domain abuse because of local governments' appetite for sales tax revenue to...

Big Government types and Prop 99 All you really need to know about the two eminent domain propositions on the June 3 ballot, 98 and 99, is that Proposition 99 is being touted by politicians and other government types as the real solution to government intrusion on private property ownership. Among them are the usual suspects, including California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, both of whom believe in Big Government, and both of whom describe Proposition 98 as a hindrance to solving such state problems as water quality and supply. Feinstein, in a release at the end...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Friday that he will oppose an initiative on the June 3 ballot to restrict governments' ability to use eminent domain to seize property. Schwarzenegger said he was opposing Proposition 98 in part because it might block the building of water projects crucial to farmers and residential users. "Eminent domain is an issue worth addressing," Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. "However Proposition 98 would undermine California's ability to improve our infrastructure, including our water delivery and storage." ... Proposition 98 bans the use of eminent domain to transfer property to a private party, and would phase...

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has taken a keen interest in how California draws its political boundaries, already chipping in a quarter-million-dollar donation to finance a redistricting measure for the Nov. 4 ballot. Now Bloomberg plans to host a Thursday night fundraiser for the governor's "California Dream Team" political committee after the two leaders discuss political philosophies in a public New York City forum the same day. It should be a prosperous night for the governor's committee - cosmetics billionaire Ron Perelman is hosting a separate fundraiser for Schwarzenegger the same evening, according to Julie Soderlund, the governor's campaign...

Zipping through California on a 220-mph bullet train – in just 2 1/2 hours from Los Angeles to San Francisco, it's being said – is certainly a romantic concept. They do it in Europe and in Japan, bullet train devotees say, so why not do it in California and relieve highway and airport congestion? California voters may get a chance to answer the question in November. An often-postponed $10 billion bond issue to provide initial financing for the system that would link the state's northern and southern regions through the San Joaquin Valley is finally likely to make the ballot....

While most developers were eyeing property in suburbia in the 1980s, Moe Mohanna was staking his claim on some rundown buildings a few blocks from the state Capitol. The Sacramento landlord began fixing up nine storefronts along K Street in an area frequented by vagrants. His properties are at the heart of the city's plans to revitalize its business district. After years of failed negotiations to rehabilitate, exchange or buy Mohanna's buildings—which the city says violate health and safety codes—Sacramento's redevelopment agency recently moved to condemn and seize his property. "We've done all of these things, and they are chasing...

Propositions that are on the June 3, 2008 Statewide Direct Primary Election Ballot Initiative Constitutional AmendmentProposition 98 1248. Government Acquisition, Regulation of Private Property. Constitutional Amendment. Proponents: Doug Mosebar, Jon Coupal and Jim Nielsen Bars state and local governments from condemning or damaging private property for private uses. Prohibits rent control and similar measures. Prohibits deference to government in property rights cases. Defines “just compensation.” Requires an award of attorneys fees and costs if a property owner obtains a judgment for more than the amount offered by the government. Requires government to offer to original owner of condemned property...

With the unexpected failure of Proposition 93, state lawmakers in Sacramento find themselves with some difficult questions on their hands, questions like: How did our efforts to fool the voters go wrong? And who's to blame? To that second question, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has pointed the finger at Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. The Legislature, Arnold says, didn't deliver. By not getting the work of the people done - whether on water, health care, the budget or redistricting - the Legislature's top brass failed to prove itself worthy of the extra time in...

Southern California gamblers can try their luck this weekend on shiny new slot machines just days after voters approved four Indian gambling expansion plans. Workers have been busy installing some of the 17,000 slot machines allowed in new deals approved by voters Tuesday for four tribes. The new deals, known as amended compacts, allow the tribes to expand in exchange for sharing their slot-machine revenue with the state. The first payments, expected to be more than $40 million, are due to the state at the end of the fiscal year June 30, according to the governor's office's lowest estimates. That...

California voters' refusal to alter state legislators' term limits will force three of the Legislature's top leaders to give up their posts. It also will free candidates running for 34 legislative seats from having to face an incumbent this year. Proposition 93 aimed to trim two years off the maximum amount of time most legislators could serve, but it also would have given dozens of lawmakers a chance to extend their stays in Sacramento. It failed by about 7 percentage points, despite support from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a who's who of labor unions, corporations and professional groups that poured...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he's counting on four wealthy Indian tribes and their expanding gambling operations to help close California's massive budget shortfall. Voters gave their blessing Tuesday to the deals allowing the tribes to add thousands of slot machines. Now the question is: will the money really make much of a difference? Propositions 94-97 give the tribes rights to 17,000 additional slot machines in exchange for promises to share hundreds of millions of dollars annually with the cash-strapped state. With about 96 percent of the votes counted Wednesday morning, the measures were leading by a margin of 56 percent...

Next Tuesday may or may not be super, but it will definitely be important. Not only will Super Tuesday likely offer a decisive advantage to one of the candidates vying for both parties’ presidential nomination, it may also tip the balance on a key issue, one hated by politicians as much as it is loved by citizens: term limits. On Tuesday, in addition to the presidential primary, California voters will cast ballots for or against Proposition 93. Pollsters with California’s Field Poll explained recently, “as voter awareness of the initiative has increased, there has been a decided decline in Yes-side...

Proposition 93's fate may depend on whether voters perceive it as an increase or decrease in the length of time lawmakers are allowed to serve in the Capitol. Depending on the circumstances, it would do both, cutting term limits in some cases while increasing them in others. The Feb. 5 ballot measure would cut two years off the maximum time future lawmakers and most current legislators could serve, dropping it from 14 years to 12. But it would let them spend all 12 years in one house of the Legislature. The measure also includes a transition phase that would permit...

The California Republican Party is struggling to get out of debt, creating a potential drag on voter registration and other party-building efforts in the midst of a heated campaign season, records showed Thursday. As of last week, the state GOP's main account had a balance of $3.2 million but $3.4 million in unpaid obligations. The party's federal account - used to finance activities that support congressional candidates - listed a balance of $34,000 but nearly $460,000 in debts, according to records filed last month. The shaky finances are due in large part to sluggish fundraising. The party collected $5.6 million...

For weeks, Democratic legislators had been crossing their fingers, figuratively at least, and hoping that Republican voters could be induced into voting for Proposition 93, a measure to modify legislative term limits and extend the careers of termed-out lawmakers. They were pleased, therefore, when Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger did a 180-degree political pirouette and endorsed the measure, saying he had developed a good working relationship with Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and wanted them to stick around. Schwarzenegger's endorsement, however, may turn out to have been the kiss of death for Proposition 93. Two...

Sacramento -- California voters launched a national movement nearly 20 years ago when they approved a ballot measure to limit state legislators' time in office to 14 years, split between the state Senate and Assembly. The Legislature's current leadership, spearheaded by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, is asking voters to mark their ballots for the Feb. 5 primary in favor of another term limits measure, Proposition 93, which would trim lawmakers' terms by two years but allow all of that time to be spent in the same chamber. Proponents of the measure, including Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, say it...

GOV. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER has rushed to the defense of some of the "girlie men" he once wanted booted from Sacramento. It's an indicator of how far the one-time backer of strict term limits has come in understanding Capitol dynamics and how badly he needs the cooperation of lawmakers to help carve out his legacy in his final three years in office. During the summer of 2004, the then-freshman governor, frustrated with the Legislature's failure to pass a budget, accused lawmakers of doing the bidding of unions and trial lawyers -- and encouraged voters to "terminate" their representatives at the polls...

(snip) In television ads that began airing the first week of January, Governor Schwarzenegger urges voters to endorse Propositions 94, 95, 96, and 97, which would expand gambling operations. ... The agreements allow four tribes [Agua Caliente, Pechanga, Morongo, Sycuan] ... to add 17,000 slot machines to the existing 8,000. In exchange, the tribes will give the state between 15 and 25 percent of the revenue from the added machines. Last May, Schwarzenegger estimated that the compacts would generate $293 million just this fiscal year, but state finance spokesman H. D. Palmer says this figure has since been revised downward...

Prop. 91 Transportation Funding Protection: YES! This measure flatly prohibits Sacramento from raiding our highway taxes to paper over their budget deficits. When a watered-down version of Prop. 91 was adopted by the legislature, its sponsors dropped this measure after it qualified. Nevertheless, if you want to genuinely protect our transportation taxes from being raided, Prop 91 is the Real McCoy. Prop. 92 Guaranteed Funding for Community Colleges: NO! This can best be described as a Prop. 98 for community colleges – guaranteeing them a growing level of funding from the state’s tax revenues regardless of their actual attendance, their...

SACRAMENTO -- Softening his past opposition to changes to California's term-limits law, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to endorse a February ballot measure that would allow many sitting lawmakers to run for office again this year rather than be forced to leave the Legislature, said people close to the governor and the campaign. Schwarzenegger's backing is a boost for the Proposition 93 campaign and its chief proponent, Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles), who will be forced out of his seat after this year unless the term-limits law is changed. Nunez endeared himself to Schwarzenegger by pushing the governor's health...

A staggering amount of money is being spent to persuade state voters to ratify four Indian gambling deals. If approved, Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97 would authorize 17,000 more slot machines for four of the state's wealthiest gambling tribes. The deals would catapult California into the gambling big leagues, well beyond the modest increase voters were promised when they first authorized Nevada-style gambling for tribes in 1998. This page has consistently opposed the expansion of gambling, beginning with the state lottery. We oppose the new gambling deals contained in these referendum initiatives, too. Gambling is the wrong way to...