The California Constitution provides that the electors may propose a statute or an amendment to the California Constitution by initiative and approve or reject a statute by referendum. An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting to the Secretary of State a petition that sets forth the text of the proposed statute or amendment to the Constitution, and is certified to have been signed by the required number of electors, as prescribed. A referendum measure may be proposed by presenting to the Secretary of State a petition that sets forth the statute or part of the statute to be submitted to the electors, and is certified to have been signed by the required number of electors. Prior to the circulation of an initiative or referendum petition for signatures, the California Constitution requires that a copy of the petition be submitted to the Attorney General, who must prepare a title and summary of the measure. Existing statutory law also directs the Attorney General to prepare the ballot label, and the ballot title and summary that is included in the ballot pamphlet, for each measure that appears on a statewide ballot. This measure would require that an initiative or referendum petition be submitted to the Legislative Analyst instead of the Attorney General, and would transfer from the Attorney General to the Legislative Analyst the duty of preparing the title and summary for an initiative or referendum that is to be circulated. The measure would also require, for each measure that appears on a statewide ballot, that the Legislative Analyst prepare the ballot label, and the ballot title and summary for the ballot pamphlet.
Sponsored bills
This measure would proclaim April 15 through April 22, 2012, as California Holocaust Memorial Week and would urge Californians to observe these days of remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust in an appropriate manner.
Article XVI of the California Constitution requires a general obligation bond act to specify the single object or work to be funded by the bonds, and further requires a bond act to be approved by a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and by a majority of the voters. Article XVI authorizes the Legislature, at any time after the approval of a general obligation bond act by the voters, to reduce the amount of the indebtedness authorized by the act to an amount not less than the amount contracted at the time of the reduction or to repeal the act if no debt has been contracted. Existing law, pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century, approved by the voters as Proposition 1A at the November 4, 2008, statewide general election, provides for the issuance of $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for high-speed rail and related rail purposes. Existing law creates the High-Speed Rail Authority with specified powers and duties related to the development and implementation of a high-speed train system. This bill would provide that no further bonds shall be sold for high-speed rail and related rail purposes pursuant to the Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century. The bill would amend the bond act to authorize redirection of the net proceeds received from outstanding bonds issued and sold prior to the effective date of this act, upon appropriation by the Legislature, from those high-speed rail purposes to retiring the debt incurred from the issuance and sale of those outstanding bonds. This bill would provide that, pursuant to Article XVI of the California Constitution, these provisions shall become effective only upon approval by the voters at the next statewide general election. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report (EIR) on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes judicial review procedures for challenging a lead agency action on the ground of noncompliance with CEQA. This bill would require a judicial proceeding challenging a project, except for a high-speed rail project, located in a distressed county, as defined, to be filed with the Court of Appeal with geographic jurisdiction over the project.
The Administrative Procedure Act governs the procedure for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. This bill would enact the Government Accountability Act of 2012 and require that a major regulation, as defined, proposed on or after January 1, 2013, include a provision to repeal the regulation 2 years after the date that the regulation is approved by the office. The bill would require the office to return to an agency any proposed regulation that does not include the repeal provision. The bill would provide that the repeal date shall be void if the Legislature enacts a statute that expressly validates and approves the content of the regulation, as specified.
This measure calls on the United States President and Congress to urge the government of the Republic of Turkey to honor its obligations under international treaties and human rights law.
This measure would designate March 25 through March 31, 2012, as California Tsunami Awareness Week.
This measure would declare the week of March 12, 2012, through March 16, 2012, as Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week.