New Initiative Cleared for Circulation
1439. (09-0089) Imposes Additional Requirements for Voters to Approve Legislature’s Two-Thirds Vote on State Taxes and to Approve Certain Local Taxes and Fees. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 01/22/10 | Circulation Deadline: 06/21/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Jon Coupal (916) 444-9950
Imposes new requirement for voters to approve state tax measures following a two-thirds vote by the Legislature. Exempts short-term emergency taxes from voter-approval requirement. Increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for certain fees and taxes currently subject to majority vote. Prohibits Legislature from imposing taxes, fees and assessments on real property and real property sales and transfers, and certain fines. Requires voters to approve by two-thirds vote certain additional local taxes, fees and charges. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major decrease in state and local revenues and spending in the future, depending upon actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, and voters
1440. (09-0092) Imposes Additional Requirements for Voters to Approve Legislature’s Two-Thirds Vote on State Taxes and to Approve Local Levies and Charges with Limited Exceptions. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 01/22/10 | Circulation Deadline: 06/21/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Josiah Keene c/o Steve Lucas (916) 446-6752
Imposes new requirement for voters to approve state tax measures following a two-thirds vote by the Legislature. Exempts short-term emergency taxes from voter-approval requirement. Increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for state levies and charges with limited exceptions, and for certain taxes currently subject to majority vote. Changes Constitution to require voters to approve, either by two-thirds or majority, local levies and charges with limited exceptions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major decrease in state and local revenues and spending, depending upon future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, and voters. (09-0092.)
1441. (09-0093) Increases Legislative Vote Requirement to Two-Thirds for State Levies and Charges. Imposes Additional Requirement for Voters to Approve Local Levies and Charges with Limited Exceptions. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 01/22/10 | Circulation Deadline: 06/21/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for state levies and charges, with limited exceptions, and for certain taxes currently subject to majority vote. Changes Constitution to require voters to approve, either by two-thirds or majority, local levies and charges with limited exceptions. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major decrease in state and local revenues and spending, depending upon future actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, and local voters. (09-0093.)
1442. (09-0090) Changes Method of Calculating State Spending Limit. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 01/26/10 | Circulation Deadline: 06/25/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Thomas W. Hiltachk (916) 442-7757
Changes method of calculating state spending limit. Subjects certain transportation and other currently excluded expenditures to spending limit. Eliminates constitutional requirement that revenues received in excess of spending limit be returned to taxpayers and used for schools, and generally redirects those revenues toward reducing state debt. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government:Revised spending limit likely would alter state spending. In the near future, the percentage of the state budget devoted to K-14 education and debt expenses likely would increase, and the percentage devoted to other areas likely would decrease. Over the longer term, state reserves, tax rebates, and other one-time spending also could increase. (09-0090.)
1443. (09-0091) Changes Methods of Calculating Public School Funding and State Spending Limit. Eliminates Constitutional Guarantee of State Funding of Community Colleges. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 01/26/10 | Circulation Deadline: 06/25/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Thomas W. Hiltachk (916) 442-7757
Changes method of calculating minimum funding level for K-12 public schools. Eliminates constitutional guarantee of state funding of community colleges. Changes method of calculating state spending limit. Subjects certain transportation and other currently excluded expenditures to spending limit. Eliminates constitutional requirement that revenues received in excess of spending limit be returned to taxpayers and used for schools, and generally redirects those revenues toward reducing state debt. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Revised spending limit likely would alter state spending. In the near future, the percentage of the state budget devoted to debt expenses likely would increase, and the percentage devoted to most other areas likely would decrease. Over the longer term, state reserves, tax rebates, and other one-time spending also could increase. Possible state funding decreases for community college districts, given this measure's elimination of their constitutional funding guarantee. Possible increase or decrease in state funding for K-12 school districts in any given year, given this measure’s changes of their constitutional funding guarantee. (09-0091.)
1444. (09-0097) Imposes Additional Tax on Cigarettes for Cancer Research. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 02/01/10 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/10 | Signatures Required: 433,971
Proponent: N. Eugene Hill (916) 442-2952
Imposes additional five cent tax on each cigarette distributed ($1.00 per pack), and an equivalent tax increase on other tobacco products, to fund cancer research and other specified purposes. Requires tax revenues be deposited into a special fund to finance research and research facilities focused on detecting, preventing, treating, and curing cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other tobacco-related diseases, and to finance prevention programs. Creates nine-member committee charged with administering the fund. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Increase in new cigarette tax revenues of about $855 million annually by 2011- 12, declining slightly annually thereafter, for various health research and tobacco-related programs. Increase of about $45 million annually to existing health, natural resources, and research programs funded by existing tobacco taxes. Increase in state and local sales taxes of about $32 million annually. (09-0097.)
1445. (09-0098) Changes State Budget Process in Several Ways. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Summary Date: 02/01/10 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponents: Margaret R. Prinzing and James C. Harrison c/o Robin B. Johansen (510) 346-6200
Changes legislative vote requirement necessary to pass state budget from two-thirds to a simple majority. Retains two-thirds vote requirement to raise taxes. Prohibits Legislature from creating expenditures of more than $25 million unless offsetting revenues or spending cuts are identified. Limits use of onetime revenues to onetime expenditures. Requires Legislators to forfeit salary and expense reimbursement each day budget is late. Requires Governor to prepare two-year budgets. Permits Governor to cut budget unilaterally during fiscal emergencies if Legislature fails to act. Requires performance reviews of all state programs. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Direct increases in state spending—potentially tens of millions of dollars per year—to administer new budgeting process requirements. Potentially significant, but unknown, indirect fiscal effects for the state. Over time, these could include lower annual spending for ongoing state-funded programs and higher one-time expenditures (such as for infrastructure projects, debt reduction, or temporary tax relief). (09-0098.)
1446. (09-0095) Imposes Wealth Tax. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Imposes Wealth Tax. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Summary Date: 02/01/10 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Paul McCauley [email protected]
Imposes one-time tax of 55% on certain real and personal property in California exceeding $15 million if single, $20 million if married. Imposes one-time tax of up to 54.3% on income exceeding $5 million when resident dies or leaves California. Imposes additional 17.5% tax on total incomes exceeding $150,000 if single, $250,000 if married; 35% if incomes exceed $350,000 if single, $500,000 if married. Creates tax credits. Requires State to acquire shares of specified corporations for purposes of influencing environmental practices. May exempt new revenues from education funding requirements. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: One-time increase in state revenues potentially in the low hundreds of billions of dollars from imposition of a wealth tax, and ongoing increase in state revenues potentially in the tens of billions of dollars from imposition of the tax on certain people dying or leaving the state and from the higher personal income tax rate on upper-income taxpayers. Of the increased revenues, $25 billion during each of the first three years and $10 billion a year thereafter would go to state general purpose funding. Remaining revenue would be allocated to accomplish various goals including purchasing the common stock of various weapons, petroleum, automotive, media and financial companies. Unknown state and local revenue reductions—potentially in the tens of billions of dollars annually—due to changes in taxpayer behavior. (09-0095.)
1447. (09-0096) Imposes Additional Requirements for Legislature to Approve Certain State Fees and Taxes and for Voter to Approve Certain Local Taxes and Fees. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Imposes Additional Requirements for Legislature to Approve Certain State Fees and Taxes and for Voter to Approve Certain Local Taxes and Fees. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Summary Date: 02/01/10 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/10 | Signatures Required: 694,354
Proponent: Thomas W. Hiltachk (916) 442-7757
Increases legislative vote requirement to two-thirds for certain fees and taxes currently subject to majority vote. Prohibits Legislature from imposing taxes, fees and assessments on real property and real property sales and transfers, and certain fines. Requires voters to approve by two-thirds vote certain additional local taxes, fees and charges. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potentially major decrease in state and local revenues and spending in the future, depending upon actions of the Legislature, local governing bodies, and voters. (09-0096.)
1448. (09-0103) Expands Types of Criminal Conduct that Constitute Human Trafficking and Increases Criminal Penalties. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 02/01/10 | Circulation Deadline: 07/01/10 | Signatures Required: 433,971
Proponent: Daphne Phung [email protected]
Expands definition of human trafficking to encompass additional types of criminal conduct, including violating a person's liberty with intent to distribute obscene material, and taking a victim's travel documents to restrict victim's movement. Increases criminal penalties for human trafficking, including longer prison sentences of up to 15-years-to- life and larger fines of up to $500,000 for certain offenses. Requires assets forfeited due to conviction be used for victim services. Prohibits evidence that victim engaged in sexual conduct from being used against victim. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Potential increased local government costs of up to a few million dollars on a statewide basis due to the new mandatory training requirements for certain law enforcement officers. Unknown but probably minor net fiscal effects for state and local governments from a potential increase in human trafficking arrests and convictions. This would be a negligible percentage increase in state General Fund spending. (09-0103.)
Initiative Pending at the Attorney General's Office
10-0004 - "California Public Divest from Israel Act"
10-0005 - "Re: Alcoholic Beverages"
10-0006 - "Repeal Mandatory Auto Insurance"
1371. (09-0021) Allows Insurance Companies to Increase or Decrease the Cost of Auto Insurance Based on a Driver’s Coverage History. Initiative Statute.
Summary Date: 08/13/09 Failed: 01/25/10
Proponent: Christina L. Wilson c/o Chip Nielsen (415) 389-6800
Allows insurance companies to raise the cost of auto insurance based on the absence of prior automobile insurance coverage. Allows insurance companies to lower the cost of auto insurance for drivers who have continuously maintained auto insurance coverage, even if they change insurance companies. Allows insurance companies to consider "claims experience" when calculating the amount of any such reduction or when determining which drivers will be eligible for it. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: The measure would have no significant fiscal impact on state and local governments. (09-0021.)
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