Community Corner
League of Women Voters meeting on Initiative and Referendum
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS MEETINGS ON INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PROCESS IN CALIFORNIA
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
1-3 pm Silicon Valley Community Foundation Conference Center 1300 El Camino Real, San Mateo
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7-9 pm League of Women Voters of North and Central San Mateo County office, 444 Peninsula Avenue, Suite 1, San Mateo, 94401
These are duplicate meetings. Choose the meeting time that best fits your schedule.
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These meetings will present background information about the California Initiative and Referendum process.
The subject will be continued in March 19th meetings at the same times and places.
Californians have a 101 year history of direct democracy with the initiative, referendum and recall. Pushed by Governor Hiram Johnson, and adopted in 1911, the system was intended to give citizens power over a corrupt legislature. But special interests spent $372 million advocating or attacking the 11 ballot measures on the November 2012 ballot—a far cry from the original concept.
The League of Women Voters of California has a history of seeking reforms in the process. The timing for the reform of California‘s Initiative and Referendum system has never been as opportune as it is now. This discussion will include issues such as limiting paid signature gatherers, changing the time or number of signatures required to qualify an initiative for the ballot, and considering various ideas which define how the content of an initiative should be limited. Other issues are drafting, pre-review, titling and summary before signatures are gathered, what it takes to qualify for the ballot, how much the Legislature should be integrated in the process, and whether the State Constitution should be allowed to be amended by the initiative.
For more information, see http://www.cafwd.org/reporting/entry/league-of-women-voters-time-for-new...
The public is invited to join in the discussions, but only League members will vote on the policy positions that will be adopted by the League based on these discussions, which are taking place statewide.
