AB 692, as amended, Gonzalez. Immigration reform: advisory election.
This bill would call a special election to be consolidated with the November 4, 2014, statewide general election. The bill would require the Secretary of State to submit to the voters at the November 4, 2014, consolidated election an advisory question asking whether the Congress of the United States should immediately reform our immigration laws and pass comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for immigrants meeting certain requirements, as specified, and whether the President of the United States should halt deportations ofbegin delete parents whose children were born in the United Statesend deletebegin insert those immigrantsend insert until that new immigration law is passed. The bill would require the
Secretary of State to communicate the results of this election to the Congress of the United States.
This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an act calling an election.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
The Legislature finds and declares all of the
2following:
3(a) The United States of America was founded on principles of
4freedom and opportunity, and on the tenet that all men and women
5are created equal.
6(b) The nation’s history has been indelibly shaped by waves of
7immigration.
8(c) The current immigration system in the United States is
9antiquated, riddled with inefficiencies, and incapable of meeting
10the challenges of the 21st century and our changing economy.
11(d) Immigrants are a major engine for the state’s economic
12growth. Approximately 1 in 10 workers in California is an
13undocumented immigrant, totaling 1.85 million workers.
14Immigrants are vital for California’s industries, including
15technology, agriculture, hospitality, and services.
16(e) The undocumented immigrant population in the United States
17is currently 11.7 million and is expected to continue growing in
18the absence of immigration and regulatory reform.
19(f) Almost one-quarter (23 percent) of the nation’s
20undocumented immigrants reside in California.
21(g) Thousands of families have been separated because of the
22enforcement of immigration laws that do not recognize the
23complexities of mixed-status families.
Each year, more than
24350,000 immigrants face deportation proceedings.
25(h) Nearly one-half of undocumented immigrants in the United
26States are parents of minor children, and 77 percent of these
27children are United States citizens.
28(i) Since 1998, about 600,000 children who are United States
29citizens have had a parent detained or deported. Currently, there
30are at least 5,100 children in the child welfare system because their
P3 1parents are under immigration custody or have been deported. This
2number is expected to rise to 15,000 in the next five years.
A special election is hereby called to be held
4throughout the state on November 4, 2014. The special election
5shall be consolidated with the statewide general election to be held
6on that date. The consolidated election shall be held and conducted
7in all respects as if there were only one election and only one form
8of ballot shall be used.
(a) Notwithstanding Section 9040 of the Elections
10Code, the Secretary of State shall submit the following advisory
11question to the voters at the November 4, 2014, consolidated
12election:
13“Shall the Congress of the United States reform our immigration
14laws and immediately pass comprehensive immigration reform
15that includes a path to citizenshipbegin delete toend deletebegin insert forend insert those immigrants who
16learn English, pass a background check, and pay back taxes, and
17shall the President of the United Statesbegin insert,
in order to stop separating
18families and disrupting communities,end insert halt thebegin delete deportations of
19noncriminal mothers and fathers whose children were born in
the
20United States, which separate families,end delete
21immigrantsend insert until that new immigration law is passed?”
22(b) Upon certification of the election, the Secretary of State
23shall communicate to the Congress of the United States the results
24of the election asking the question set forth in subdivision (a).
25(c) The provisions of the Elections Code that apply to the
26preparation of ballot measures and ballot materials at a statewide
27election apply to the measure submitted pursuant to this section.
This act calls an election within the meaning of Article
29IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate effect.
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