Tag: california
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California Assembly passes bill for ballot measure to repeal Proposition 209, which banned considering race and sex in public jobs, education, and contracting in 1996
On June 10, the California State Assembly passed a constitutional amendment to repeal Proposition 209, which received 54.55 percent of the vote in 1996. Proposition 209 prohibited the state from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. In California, a two-thirds vote is…
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Three states release guidance for reopening schools
Officials in three states—California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina—released guidance for reopening schools for the 2020-2021 year. Schools in all three states have been closed to in-person instruction since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. So far, schools in four states (Alabama, Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming) have reopened to in-person instruction after closing due to…
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Voters approve California school board recall election
A recall election seeking to remove Leanne Ibarra and Jose Lara from their positions on the El Rancho Unified School District Board of Education in California was approved by voters on June 2, 2020. Joseph Rivera was elected to replace Lara, and Esther Mejia was elected to replace Ibarra. The election was conducted entirely by…
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California governor issues executive order authorizing counties to consolidate polling places in Nov. 3 general election
On June 3, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issued an executive order giving counties permission to consolidate polling places in the Nov. 3 general election, provided they offer three days of early voting. Newsom authorized counties to operate one polling place per 10,000 registered voters, provided that those locations are open eight hours per day from…
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Second version of California split roll tax initiative qualifies for November ballot
On May 29, the office of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that enough signatures were deemed valid for the second version of a ballot initiative to require commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on their market value. In California, the proposal to assess taxes on commercial and industrial properties at market…
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U.S. Supreme Court rejects challenge to California law limiting church attendance
On May 29, 2020, the United States Supreme Court rejected a challenge to California’s religious gathering limits, which order attendance in churches or places of worship to a maximum of 25% or 100 attendees. The 5-4 decision was joined by Chief Justice Roberts who warned against intervening in emergencies: “Where those broad limits are not…
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California school board recall to be held Tuesday
A recall election seeking to remove Leanne Ibarra and Jose Lara from their positions on the El Rancho Unified School District Board of Education in California is scheduled for June 2, 2020. The election is being conducted by mail-in ballot in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The candidate filing deadline passed on March 6; Allan…
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In November, Californians will decide whether app-based drivers should be classified as independent contractors
At the election on November 3, 2020, Californians will decide a ballot initiative that addresses whether app-based drivers should be classified as independent contractors. In September 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 5, which established criteria to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor. Uber, Lyft, and Doordash proposed a ballot…
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Garcia (R) defeats Smith (D) in special election for California’s 25th Congressional District
Mike Garcia (R) won the May 12, 2020, special election for California’s 25th Congressional District after Christy Smith (D) conceded on May 13. He will fill the U.S. House vacancy left by Katie Hill (D), who resigned the seat on November 1, 2019, amid allegations of extramarital relationships with staffers. The remainder of the term…
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California to send mail-in ballots automatically to all registered voters in the general election
On May 8, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order directing county election officials to deliver mail-in ballots automatically to all registered voters in the November 3, 2020, general election. Newsom announced that in-person voting locations would also be available. Under normal circumstances, California allows any registered voter to cast a ballot by mail,…