Pension Initiative Drive Might Become More Difficult

Earlier posts on this blog have pointed out that a pension initiative could appear on the California ballot that would override the changes made by the Regents last December in the UC pension plan. It was noted that initiatives – once qualified – go on the next statewide ballot.

For 2012, that might have been February when the state presidential primary was originally scheduled. The mix of voters in a February primary might have tilted toward passage of such an initiative. Now, however, the governor has signed a bill moving the presidential primary back to June when the regular primary for state races will also occur. The voter mix then will likely be less favorable to passage.

The governor has on his desk a bill that would ban per-signature piece rate payments to signature gatherers. They would have to paid on a time basis under the bill. Effectively, that would likely make signature gathering more costly since it is difficult to monitor gatherers to verify what their hours actually are. The piece rate system also provides gatherers with an incentive to get as many signatures as possible. So, if the governor signs the bill, that would likely impede initiatives from getting on the ballot on any subject.

Finally, a new radio ad has appeared that suggests that signing initiative petitions puts the signer at risk of identity theft. The ad seems to be aimed at impeding signature gathering for a “paycheck protection” initiative currently in circulation that would make it more difficult for unions to use dues money for political campaigns. However, the general message regarding ID theft could make voters more reluctant to sign any initiative. (The ad is general and does not focus on any specific initiative.)

You can hear the add by clicking on video below.