This measure would declare May 2009 to be "Senior Volunteer Month" to honor the contributions of California's senior volunteers.
This measure would recognize the week of April 26, 2009, through May 2, 2009, as Crime Victims' Rights Week.
This measure would designate Friday, May 8, 2009, as California Peace Officers' Memorial Day and would urge all Californians to use that day to honor California peace officers.
Existing provisions of the California Constitution direct the California Citizens Compensation Commission to establish and adjust the salary and benefits for Members of the Legislature and certain other state officers. This measure would prohibit the commission from adopting in a fiscal year a resolution that would increase the salary of Members of the Legislature or other state officers if the Director of Finance determines that there will be a negative balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties at the end of that fiscal year.
Existing provisions of the California Constitution require the Legislature to provide for primary elections for partisan offices, including an open presidential primary election, as specified. The California Constitution also provides that all judicial, school, county, and city offices are nonpartisan offices, and a political party or party central committee is prohibited from endorsing, supporting, or opposing a candidate for such an office. This measure, which would be known as the "Top Two Primaries Act," would provide for a "voter-nominated primary election" for each state elective office and congressional office in California, in which a voter may vote at the primary election for any candidate for a congressional or state elective office without regard to the political party preference disclosed by the candidate or the voter. The measure would further provide that a candidate for a congressional or state elective office generally may choose whether to have his or her political party preference indicated upon the ballot for that office in the manner to be provided by statute. The measure would prohibit a political party or party central committee from nominating a candidate for a congressional or state elective office at the primary, but the measure would permit a political party or party central committee to endorse, support, or oppose a candidate for congressional or state elective office. The 2 candidates receiving the 2 highest vote totals for each office at a primary election, regardless of party preference, would then compete for the office at the ensuing general election. This measure would require the Legislature to provide for partisan elections for presidential candidates, political party committees, and party central steering committees. This measure would designate the Superintendent of Public Instruction as a nonpartisan office. If the measure is approved by the voters, it would become operative on January 1, 2011.
