Newswire
Campaign fundraising is off to a slow start for supporters and opponents of Measure K, the sales tax hike initiative in Salinas. Under the measure, the tax would rise 1 cent per dollar. The Yes on K campaign also known as A Penny for Peace aims to raise $90,000 for the Nov. 3 ballot measure. But it received just $4,210 in contributions through Sept. 19, according to campaign finance statements, two months after the City Council decided to put the initiative before voters.
A new drive has been launched to reduce the penalty for having small amounts of marijuana to a fine. Phoenix resident Dennis Bohlke filed the necessary legal papers to begin collecting signatures to put the measure on the 2010 ballot. The maximum penalty for those convicted of having four ounces of marijuana or less would be $300.
Organizers of an ethics reform initiative criticized the Lieutenant Governor’s Office for not releasing petitions Monday for distribution, saying they suspected an 11th-hour delay tactic fueled by opposition from the political establishment. But the petitions could be certified today , Lt. Gov. Greg Bell said during a hastily called meeting with initiative organizers Monday evening. Bell, the state’s chief elections officer, called proponents’ arguments “brilliant” and “very helpful,” adding, “If the initiative is not patently unconstitutional, then it should move forward.”
Firefighters and a city councilwoman were among those attending a rally Saturday for Item 2C on the November 3 ballot. The measure proposes raising the property tax 10 mills over five years, to ultimately generate $46 million for public services.
Roughly five weeks away from the Nov. 3 election, City Council will finalize city ballot questions at its regular meeting tonight, including setting the ballot title for the initiative to create a “strong mayor” form of city government. Council’s regular meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in council chambers at City Hall. The agenda for the pre-meeting work session calls for an executive session to discuss negotiations.
Reuters, the San Francisco Chronicle, CBS, ABC and other major media outlets descended on the 38th-Annual NORML convention this afternoon for a press conference by leading Oakland drug law reformer Richard Lee. Rich Lee’s Tax and Regulate Cannabis 2010 ballot initiative begins gathering more than a half a million signatures today to qualify for the November 2010 ballot. TaxCann2010 will legalize personal possession of small amount of cannabis and create a regulatory framework for commercial sales, similar to alcohol.
The next state general election will not occur until November, but backers of a ballot proposal to legalize the use of medical marijuana in Arizona claim to be well on their way to qualifying the measure for the 2010 ballot. Andrew Myers, a manager for the Arizona Medical Marijuana Policy Project, said the campaign so far has collected approximately 125,000 voter signatures from 450 independently contracted collectors.
A broad coalition of business, labor, education and seniors today launched an effort to defeat Tim Eyman’s latest ballot measure, Initiative 1033. “1033 is bad for jobs and it would greatly diminish access to health care,” said Doug Shadel, state director of AARP. The initiative, on November’s ballot, would cap the yearly growth of state, county and city general funds at the rate of inflation, plus population growth. Any revenue above the cap would be used to lower property taxes. Voters could approve revenue increases above the cap.
The 2010 elections may seem far off. But in the state Capitol folks are already lining up their message and jockeying. Which can only mean the next legislative season will interesting. Lawmakers up for re-election will either be overly cautious, not wanting to offend or they’ll be outlandish, hoping to garner attention and get their name out.
Despite concerns from some gay-rights activists that it’s too early to revisit the issue, one group today pushed forward with plans for a 2010 ballot measure that would repeal Prop. 8 and allow gay marriage in California. The group Love Honor Cherish filed ballot language with the state today for a measure to overturn the ban on gay marriage in the state. That is the first step in getting the question on the ballot.