October 31
This statutory measure would result in significant changes to the financing of election campaigns by (1) establishing public financing for candidates meeting certain conditions, (2) reducing existing contribution limitations, and (3) making other changes to election procedures. The measure’s provisions generally apply to primary and general elections for statewide Constitutional officers and members of the Legislature and Board of Equalization (BOE).
October 30
This measure increases funding for emergency medical care by imposing an additional 3 percent emergency telephone surcharge, in addition to the existing surcharge, on intrastate telephone calls. The measure specifies that a telephone company could not bill a surcharge to a residential user of more than 50 cents per monthly phone bill. The amount of the surcharge on mobile telecommunication services and commercial telephone lines would not be capped. Revenues from the increased surcharge would be deposited in a new 911 Emergency and Trauma Care Fund established by the measure.
November 6
The proposed initiative has the following major features: longer prison terms, longer and more intensive parole supervision, annual driver’s license renewal for sex registrants, increased fines, new crime, internet-based public access to the Megan’s Law database, expanded definition of a sexually violent predator.
October 23
This measure would require physicians to notify at least one of the parents or legal guardians of a pregnant unemancipated minor prior to performing an abortion unless (1) a medical emergency makes an immediate abortion necessary or (2) a juvenile court has granted a waiver of this requirement.
October 1
This measure provides additional state funding for community mental health programs, in addition to state funding currently appropriated for this same purpose, by establishing a PIT surcharge of 1 percent on taxable incomes in excess of $1 million. The PIT surcharge would be levied on all tax filers beginning January 1, 2005.
September 19
The measure requires that each state entity post on its Web site, at the close of each business day, any expenditures and revenues credited to that entity on that day. These postings would include relevant names, dates, and amounts of each transaction. The measure would also require the State Controller’s Office, in consultation with the State Treasurer’s Office and the Department of Finance, to adopt guidelines and procedures to standardize the financial information reported by state entities on the Internet.
September 12
Specifies maximum allowable class sizes in public schools for grades K-12. Specifically, the initiative requires that class size be no larger than 15 students for grades K-3, 20 students for grades 4 through 8, and 25 students for grades 9 through 12.
August 19
This measure would enact the Voluntary Health Plan Arbitration Act of 2004, which would prohibit HMOs from requiring, as a condition of plan membership, that potential enrollees agree to binding arbitration or any other dispute procedure that requires enrollees to waive the right to a trial in court. The same prohibition would apply to all contracts for health or disability insurance, including PPOs.