Tag: california
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Number of California local ballot measures during odd-numbered years continues downward trend
California voters decided on 45 local ballot measures in 2023. These local ballot measures included county measures, city or town measures, or measures from local school districts or special districts. In 2023, there was one less measure than in the previous odd-numbered election year in 2021, when California voters decided on 46 local ballot measures.…
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Two 2024 ballot initiative campaigns report reaching the 25% signature threshold in California
The California secretary of state reported on Dec. 13 that two California ballot initiatives campaigns had collected at least 25% of the required number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot in 2024. Protect Patients Now, sponsored by the California Apartment Association, is gathering signatures for an initiated state statute to require healthcare providers…
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Voters in Huntington Beach, California, to decide charter amendments on elections, voter ID, flags, budgets, and more in March 2024
Voters in Huntington Beach, California, will decide on three charter amendments on March 5, 2024, which the Huntington Beach City Council referred to the ballot on Oct. 5, 2023. Measure 1 would make various changes to the election procedures of Huntington Beach, including requiring voter identification for elections and requiring ballot drop boxes to be…
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California governor vetoes unemployment insurance benefits for striking workers
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on September 30 vetoed a bill that would increase labor protections for striking workers. The California State Assembly and Senate on September 11 and 14, 2023, respectively, passed SB 799, which would have allowed workers who were on strike for at least two weeks to receive unemployment insurance benefits of…
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California governor vetos unemployment benefits for striking workers
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed a bill Sept. 30 that proposed allowing workers to claim unemployment insurance benefits after striking for two weeks. Senate Bill 799 previously passed the state Senate 27-12 on Sept. 14 and passed the state House 59-18 on Sept. 11. California lawmakers advanced similar legislation in 2019, but the measure…
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Gov. Newsom signs legislative compromise on fast food restaurant minimum wage and working conditions; campaign announces it will withdraw referendum
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 1228 (AB 1228) on Sept. 28. AB 1228 is a legislative compromise reached with proponents of a veto referendum on a different bill (Assembly Bill 257) that qualified for the 2024 ballot. AB 1228 will repeal AB 257, which was passed during the 2022 legislative session. AB…
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California legislators pass bill to allow unemployment benefits for striking workers
The California State Legislature passed a bill Sept. 14 that would allow workers to claim unemployment insurance benefits after striking for two weeks. The bill now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) desk for his approval or veto. If Newsom signs the bill, it would take effect starting in January 2024. California lawmakers previously advanced…
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California voters will decide two constitutional amendments related to changing supermajority requirements for ballot measures
The California State Legislature passed two constitutional amendments on Sept. 14, 2023, that would change voter approval thresholds for certain ballot measures. Both of the constitutional amendments will appear on the ballot in Nov. 2024. The first constitutional amendment, ACA 1, would lower the voter approval threshold from two-thirds (66.67%) to 55% for local special…
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California enacts changes to veto referendum ballot language
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed Assembly Bill 421 (AB 421), which addresses the veto referendum process, on Sept. 8, 2023. AB 421 changes how veto referendums appear on the ballot, among other provisions. A veto referendum is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that asks voters whether to uphold or repeal an enacted law. For 2024,…
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Protect Kids California files three initiatives related to gender and schools, sports, and healthcare for the 2024 ballot
Protect Kids California filed three citizen-initiated ballot measures to enact laws related to gender in schools, sports, and healthcare. The first initiative would require schools to notify parents or guardians when a student requests to be treated as a gender identity that differs from the student’s listed sex in the student’s record. Notification would be…