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Restore the Majority: CA Ballot Initiatives

The document discusses three ballot initiatives that aim to reduce California's legislative supermajority requirement for passing budgets from two-thirds to a simple majority. It provides details on the California Forward, Hancock/Burton, and Lakoff initiatives, including their organization, strategy, funding sources, and preliminary polling support. The initiatives differ in their specific approaches, with California Forward focusing solely on budgets, Hancock/Burton also not addressing taxes, and Lakoff reducing the supermajority for both budgets and taxes.

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7 views4 pages

Restore the Majority: CA Ballot Initiatives

The document discusses three ballot initiatives that aim to reduce California's legislative supermajority requirement for passing budgets from two-thirds to a simple majority. It provides details on the California Forward, Hancock/Burton, and Lakoff initiatives, including their organization, strategy, funding sources, and preliminary polling support. The initiatives differ in their specific approaches, with California Forward focusing solely on budgets, Hancock/Burton also not addressing taxes, and Lakoff reducing the supermajority for both budgets and taxes.

Uploaded by

sswanbeck6022
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The most important vote you

can cast for the future of the UC


system is on a ballot initiative
you’ve never heard of.

The time has come to


RESTORE THE MAJORITY.
RESTORE THE UC.
WE CAN USE INITIATIVES TO ELIMINATE THE
2/3rds REQUIREMENT FOR PASSING A BUDGET

What is a Ballot Initiative?


 About 1/2 of states allow voters to put proposed laws or
amendments on the ballot in the form of an “initiative.”
 In California, initiatives become law with the support of
50% of voters.
 Supporters of an initiative must gather a certain
number of signatures in order to “qualify” for the ballot.
• In CA, supporters simply pay professional signature
gathering companies $1-2 million to gather the
required number of signatures. Grassroots signature
gathering is rarely successful.
RESTORE THE MAJORITY. RESTORE THE UC.
HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS.
Your Nov. 2010 vote can empower lawmakers who believe in higher
education and can restore a core democratic right to all Californians

Three different approaches to Restore the Majority in November 2010

California Forward: Hancock / Burton: Lakoff:


“Budget Accountability Act” “On-Time Budget Act” “California Democracy Act”

 Reduces current 2/3rds


requirement for passing budget
to 50%  Reduces current 2/3rds  Reduces current 2/3rds
 Does not address taxes requirement for passing requirement for passing
budget to 50% budget to 50%
 Increases simple majority
 Does not address taxes  Reduces current 2/3rds
requirement for raising fees to
2/3rds supermajority requirement for raising
 Takes away lawmakers’
taxes to 50%
 PayGo - Requires gov’t to salaries everyday budget is
overdue
explain financing for any
spending increases or tax
reductions

Source: Direct communication with campaigns


SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
AMONG RESTORE THE MAJORITY INITIATIVES..
Approaches Differ in Organization, Strategy, Fundraising, and
Preliminary Polling

CA Forward: Hancock / Burton: Lakoff:


“Budget Accountability Act” “On Time Budget Act” “California Democracy Act”
Organization  Initiated:  Initiated:  Initiated:
Bipartisan think tank in State Sen. Loni Hancock & Berkeley Prof. George Lakoff
San Francisco called Dem Party Chair John Burton
“California Forward”  Campaign:
 Campaign : Headed by CA Dem Party Co-
 Campaign: Major unions: Teachers, Chair Eric Bauman
CA Forward’s sister PAC Firefighter, Nurses
Strategy  Not known  Professional: union  Volunteer: retirees,
organizers, hired signature students, and community
gatherers, experienced organizers
political strategists

Funding  Not known  Shared between  Fundraising events and


participating unions individual contributions
 Relying on volunteerism

Support in  60-70%  70%  35-51%


Polls

Source: Direct communication with campaigns

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