BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 354|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 354
Author: Dahle (R)
Amended: 7/9/13 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE ELECTIONS & CONSTIT. AMEND. CMTE. : 5-0, 7/2/13
AYES: Torres, Anderson, Hancock, Padilla, Yee
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 5/20/13 (Consent) - See last page for
vote
SUBJECT : Ballot measures: ballot title and summary:
impartial analysis
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill requires the analysis of a local ballot
measure that appears in the ballot pamphlet to include a
statement indicating whether the measure was placed on the
ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters or
by the local governing body, as specified.
ANALYSIS :
Existing law:
1.Requires a statewide ballot measure may be placed on the
ballot at a statewide election by a petition signed by the
requisite number of voters or by the Legislature.
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2.Requires the Attorney General to provide a ballot title and
summary and ballot label for each ballot measure submitted to
the voters at a statewide election.
3.Requires a county, city, or district ballot measure may be
placed on the ballot at the county, city, or district election
by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters or by
the county board of supervisors, the governing body of the
city, or the governing body of the district, respectively.
4.Requires, whenever a county, city, or district measure
qualifies for a place on the ballot, the county counsel or
city attorney, as applicable, to prepare an impartial analysis
of the measure showing the effect of the measure on existing
law and the operation of the measure.
5.Provides that a ballot measure may be placed on the ballot at
a school district election by the governing board of the
school district.
6.Requires, whenever a school district ballot measure is placed
on the ballot, the county counsel or district attorney, as
applicable, to prepare an impartial analysis of the measure
showing the effect of the measure on existing law and the
operation of the measure.
This bill:
1.Requires the analysis of a county ballot measure, prepared by
the county counsel or district attorney, to include a
statement indicating whether the measure was placed on the
ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters
or by the board of supervisors.
2.Requires the analysis of a city ballot measure, prepared by
the city attorney, to include a statement indicating whether
the measure was placed on the ballot by a petition signed by
the requisite number of voters or by the governing body of the
city.
3.Requires the analysis of a district ballot measure, prepared
by the county counsel or district attorney as specified, to
include a statement indicating whether the measure was placed
on the ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of
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voters or by the governing body of the district.
4.Requires the analysis of a water district ballot measure,
prepared by the legal counsel of the water district or the
county counsel as specified, to include a statement indicating
whether the measure was placed on the ballot by a petition
signed by the requisite number of voters or by the governing
body of the water district.
5.Requires the analysis of a school ballot measure, prepared by
the county counsel or district attorney as specified, to
include a statement indicating that the measure was placed on
the ballot by the governing board of the district.
Background
Ballot Pamphlets and Sample Ballots . Existing law requires the
Secretary of State to prepare the state ballot pamphlet for each
statewide election, which includes information about ballot
measures that will appear on the ballot. Among the information
that is included for each ballot measure is an impartial
analysis of the measure, arguments for and against the measure,
and the full text of the measure, and, for measures passed by
the Legislature, the total number of votes cast for and against
the measure in both the Senate and Assembly.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No Local:
No
SUPPORT : (Verified 7/9/13)
California Professional Firefighters
San Bernardino county Safety Employees' Benefit Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
current law does not require that the source of a qualified
ballot initiative is listed on the ballot or within the ballot
summary. This bill requires that the source of the initiative
be noted in the ballot summary and on the ballot itself. This
will help voters determine how an initiative got on the ballot,
especially when there are competing issues.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 73-0, 5/20/13
AYES: Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,
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Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,
Buchanan, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway, Cooley,
Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox, Frazier,
Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gordon, Gorell, Gray,
Grove, Hagman, Harkey, Roger Hernández, Jones, Levine, Linder,
Lowenthal, Maienschein, Mansoor, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell,
Morrell, Mullin, Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan,
Patterson, Perea, V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon,
Salas, Skinner, Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber,
Wieckowski, Wilk, Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Ian Calderon, Hall, Holden, Jones-Sawyer,
Logue, Vacancy, Vacancy
RM:nl 7/9/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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