Latest Articles
Litigation We’re Watching
City and County of San Francisco v. All Persons Interested in the Matter of Proposition C, No. A158645. State Supreme Court rejected petition for review, thus allowing lower court decision to stand holding voters may exercise the initiative power to adopt a special tax by majority vote. The Court of Appeal held the super majority requirements in Art. XIII A, section 4 and Art. XIII C, section 2 apply only to measures placed on the ballot by legislative bodies, not by voters through the initiative petition process.
News from Election and Ethics Agencies
The California Fair Political Practices Commission announced a $1.35 million penalty in a settlement with the County of Los Angeles. The County spent government funds to support a ballot measure related to a tax increase. The State will split the settlement with the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, which filed a civil suit over similar allegations. Link to press release
New Legislation
Executive Order N-76-20 – issued August 26, 2020
Governor Newsom signed an executive order to assist elections officials as they prepare for the upcoming election amid the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires across the state.
The order extends the deadline for county elections officials to count and verify signatures submitted for initiative petitions seeking to qualify for the November 2022 ballot. A copy of the order can be found here.