Initiative Analyses

May 4

A.G. File No. 2011-008

The Nuclear Waste Act of 2011

This initiative prohibits the generation of nuclear power in the state, including by existing power plants, until such time as the CEC finds, and the Legislature affirms, that the federal government has identified and approved a demonstrated technology for (1) The construction and operation of nuclear fuel rod reprocessing plants and (2) The permanent disposal of high-level nuclear waste.

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April 29

A.G. File No. 2011-007

Public Employee Pension Reform Act (Amendment #1-NS)

This measure provides that public employee defined pension benefits in California can only allow for "full retirement ages" of 62 years of age or older. This provision of the measure states that it would apply to public employees who are employed on the day after this measure is approved by the state's voters, notwithstanding the Contract Clause of the State Constitution.

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April 29

A.G. File No. 2011-006

California Deficit Prevention Act

This measure makes major changes to the state and local spending limits as well as placing a limit on the amount of long-term debt that the state can owe at any one time. The measure places an annual limit on total state expenditure from the General Fund and special funds based on the growth of the state’s population and inflation, and specifies how revenues that are in excess of this limit can be spent.

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May 10

A.G. File No. 2011-005

Save Our Secret Ballot in California Act

This measure requires that a secret ballot be used for all local, state, or federal elections and all authorizations of employee representation.

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April 19

A.G. File No. 2011-004

Oil Extraction Fee to Rescue Education

The measure imposes a 15 percent charge on the value of each barrel of oil extracted from California. The revenues raised and placed in a new state account (the Competitiveness Education Fund) would be distributed monthly for non-capital purposes to: public school districts (30 percent), community college districts (48 percent), the California State University system (11 percent), and the University of California system (11 percent).

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April 15

A.G. File No. 2011-003

Article V Convention Initiative

The measure directs the California Legislature to request the United States Congress to assemble a convention for the purpose of proposing amendments to the United States Constitution.

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March 17

A.G. File No. 2011-001

Election Day Holiday

The measure makes November statewide general elections public holidays. These elections take place every even-numbered year.

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January 21

A.G. File No. 2010-025

Parental Notification, Child and Teen Safety, and Stop Predators Act

This measure amends the Constitution to require, with certain exceptions, a physician (or his or her representative) to deliver a written notice to the parent or legal guardian before performing an abortion involving that minor. (This measure does not require a physician or a minor to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian.) This measure applies only to cases involving an “unemancipated” minor.

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January 18

A.G. File No. 2010-024

Electoral College Reform Act

This initiative repeals existing procedures for selection of presidential electors, and instead requires that political parties nominate an elector in each congressional district and two electors on a statewide basis. Each political party could set its own rules for determining how to choose the electors, subject to a number of requirements in the measure.

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November 5

A.G. File No. 2010-023

Support Federal Immigration Law Act

This measure (1) requires state and local law enforcement officers in California to verify the immigration status of certain individuals under certain circumstances and authorizes the transfer of undocumented persons to federal custody, (2) authorizes various state sanctions for employers who employ undocumented immigrants, (3) establishes state penalties for the smuggling or transporting of undocumented immigrants, and (4) prohibits state and local policies that would limit the enforcement of federal immigration laws.

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October 19

A.G. File No. 2010-022

The Free Exercise of Religion

This measure would adopt several amendments to the State Constitution regarding the free exercise of religion. In particular, the measure would specify that a person “using any part of the Bible’s content as authority” may freely communicate his or her views at any public or private gathering, school, or place of worship, or in specified forms of communication (such as the radio or telephone).

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September 28

A.G. File No. 2010-021

Mortgage Loans Secured by Real Property

This measure enacts a new state statute that is intended to ensure that borrowers using certain types of mortgage loans secured by residential property can obtain a loan modification or short sale under specific conditions. The provisions of this measure would apply to the first mortgage or deed of trust for residential property where the loan on the property was either a negative amortization loan or an option ARM loan and the owner was upside down on the property.

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August 17

A.G. File No. 2010-020

Divestment of State Retirement Funds from Israel Act

Under this proposed statutory measure CalPERS and CalSTRS each would be required to publicly identify their investments in companies that (1) “provide products or services that contribute to the construction or maintenance of Israeli settlements and/or the Separation Wall in the Palestinian Territories” or (2) “provide military supplies, equipment, and services to the State of Israel.” The measure would allow, but not require, the systems to use information from the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations to help them identify these companies.

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June 25

A.G. File No. 2010-019

2012 California Marriage Protection Act

This measure amends the Constitution to prohibit any party to marriage from being restored to the state of an unmarried person during the other party’s lifetime unless the marriage can be nullified under state law. This measure would in effect remove the option of divorce and make nullification or the death of a spouse the only options for ending marriage in this state.

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June 16

A.G. File No. 2010-018

Parental Notification, Child and Teen Safety, and Stop Predators Act

This measure amends the Constitution to require, with certain exceptions, a physician (or his or her representative) to deliver a written notice to the parent or legal guardian before performing an abortion involving that minor. (This measure does not require a physician or a minor to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian.) This measure applies only to cases involving an "unemancipated" minor. The measure identifies an unemancipated minor as being a female under the age of 18 who has not entered into a valid marriage, is not on active duty in the armed services of the United States, and has not been declared free from her parents' or guardians' custody and control under state law.

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