Skip to main content
Donate

Gov. Brown Says We Will Only Vote on Initiatives & Referendum in November Elections

By Jessica Levinson
October 10, 2011
Support Provided By
A voting center in San Francisco
A voting center in San Francisco

Why are labor unions rejoicing Governor Jerry Brown's approval of a bill pushing all votes on initiatives and referendum to the fall? They and those sympathetic to their cause typically turn out in much larger numbers for November elections, as compared to June elections. A pending ballot measure, which likely would have appeared on the June 2012 ballot, restricts the ability of labor unions to raise campaign funds from members. Such a measure, if successful, will significantly limit the political power of labor unions in California. The unions can now breathe a sigh of relief, knowing their battle will not be waged in June, when a greater percentage of those turning out to vote are conservatives.

So labor unions are happy, what about the rest of us? Republican legislators have said the bill reeks of partisanship. But the rest of Republicans may not feel the same way as their representatives. By a 15-point margin, Republicans support the change, according to one Field Poll. In addition, a majority of all voters support the new law.

A larger question, does this law represent good public policy? On the one hand, this law will ensure that a larger percentage of the electorate will weigh in on initiatives and referendum. While the processes of direct democracy are deeply flawed, they appear to be here to stay. Therefore at the very least the largest percentage of voters possible should decide on measures whose implications will be felt in the Golden State for decades to come.

On the other hand, this new law will not mean there are fewer ballot measures. Instead we will vote on those measures more often. The November ballot will become much longer, and potentially more confusing.

Opponents are already considering a bid to overturn Brown's decision. And how would they go about doing this? By circulating a referendum of course.

Ballot box battles are here to stay. The question is how often we'll be asked to vote on them.

Jessica Levinson writes about the intersection of law and government every Monday. She is a Visiting Professor at Loyola Law School.

The photo used on this post is by Flickr user Steve Rhodes. It was used under a Creative Commons License.

Support Provided By
Read More
An oil pump painted white with red accents stands mid-pump on a dirt road under a blue, cloudy sky with a green, grassy slope in the background.

California’s First Carbon Capture Project: Vital Climate Tool or License to Pollute?

California’s first attempt to capture and sequester carbon involves California Resources Corp. collecting emissions at its Elk Hills Oil and Gas Field, and then inject the gases more than a mile deep into a depleted oil reservoir. The goal is to keep carbon underground and out of the atmosphere, where it traps heat and contributes to climate change. But some argue polluting industries need to cease altogether.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
Gray industrial towers and stacks rise up from behind the pitched roofs of warehouse buildings against a gray-blue sky, with a row of yellow-gold barrels with black lids lined up in the foreground to the right of a portable toilet.

California Isn't on Track To Meet Its Climate Change Mandates. It's Not Even Close.

According to the annual California Green Innovation Index released by Next 10 last week, California is off track from meeting its climate goals for the year 2030, as well as reaching carbon neutrality by 2045.
By Alejandro Lazo, CalMatters
A row of cows stands in individual cages along a line of light-colored enclosures, placed along a dirt path under a blue sky dotted with white puffy clouds.

A Battle Is Underway Over California’s Lucrative Dairy Biogas Market

California is considering changes to a program that has incentivized dairy biogas, to transform methane emissions into a source of natural gas. Neighbors are pushing for an end to the subsidies because of its impact on air quality and possible water pollution.
By Emma Foehringer Merchant, Inside Climate News