California: Special Election Update

Dan Weintraub of the Sacramento Bee has this California Special election update i.e. if the Governor calls a special election for this November:

The unions dues initiative and the governor’s teacher tenure reform have qualified for the next ballot, whenever it is. To update your scorecard, that brings us to three measures qualified and five pending:

Qualified:
Union dues. Require public employee unions to get positive consent from their members before the government will deduct political money from members’ wages.

Tenure. Increase from two years to five the time a teacher must work on probation before gaining permanent status. The measure would also make it easier for school districts to let go of permanent teachers who are given poor job evaluations.

Abortion. Requires teens to get the consent of their parent or a court before getting an abortion.

Pending:

Remap. Shifts power to draw political boundaries from the Legislature to an independent panel of retired judges.

Budget. Sets spending limit based on past revenues, gives governor power to reduce spending in mid-year to prevent deficits, alters Prop. 98 education funding formula.

Prescription drugs — labor measure. Seeks to use the power of the state’s Medi-Cal program to drive down drug costs for the working poor and seniors.

Prescription drugs — industry version. Creates a voluntary prescription drug discount program for the working poor.

Energy. Prohibits expansion of private retail selling and purchase of electricity outside the regulated monopoly utility system.

And what makes anyone think that the Governor will not play HARDBALL and call a special election? (presumbably by June 13th)

With a lower voter turn-out guaranteed and these ballot measures he is assured of a more conservative electorate casting ballots.

The above graphic illustrates the Governor’s success the last time he was involved with a special election.

Stay tuned.