91 – Transporation Funds: Initiative Constitutional Amendment
Prohibits certain motor vehicle fuel taxes from being retained in the General Fund and delays repayment of such taxes previously retained. Changes how and when General Fund borrowing of certain transportation funds is allowed. Fiscal impact: Increases stability of state funding for highways, streets, and roads and may decrease stability of state funding for public transit. May reduce stability of certain local funds for public transit.
92 – Community Colleges. Funding. Governance. Fees. Initiative Constititional Amendment and Stature.
Establishes in state constitution a system of independent public community college districts and Board of Governors. Legislative analysts: Increase in state spending on K-14 education from 2007-08 through 2009-10–averaging about $300 million per year, with unknown impacts annually thereafter. Loss of student fee revenues to community colleges–potentially about $70 million annually.
See detailed overview in OW Education Section, page 17.
93 – Limits on Legislators’ Terms in Office. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Reduces the total amount of time a person may serve in the state legislature from 14 years to 12 years. Allows a person to serve a total of 12 years either in the Assembly, the Senate, or a combination of both. Provides a transition period to allow current members to serve a total of 12 consecutive years in the house in which they are currently serving, regardless of any prior service in another house.
94 – 97 Referendum on Amendment to Indian Gaming Compacts (Pechanga, Morongo, Sycuan and Agua Caliente – respectively)
This is a proposed law to ratify an amendment to existing gaming compact between the state and four Indian tribes.
The four tribes currently have 2,000 slot machines, each.
The Pechanga tribe wants an additional 5,000 slot machines. The tribe would make a $42.5 million annual payment to the state plus an additional percentage from the new machines. Pechanga currently pays about $29 million annually to the state.
The Morongo tribe wants an additional 5,000 slot machines. The tribe would make a $36.7 million annual payment to the state plus an additional percentage from the new machines. Morongo currently pays about $29 million annually to the state.
The Sycuan tribe wants an additional 3,000 slot machines. The tribe would make a $20 million annual payment to the state plus an additional percentage from the new machines. Sycuan currently pays about $5 million annually to the state.
The Agua Caliente tribe wants an additional 3,000 slot machines. The tribe would make a $23.4 million annual payment to the state plus an additional percentage from the new machines. Agua Caliente currently pays about $13 million to the state.
Revenue paid by the tribes would be deposited in the to state’s General Fund. No money is committed to education or any of the other programs recently cut from the California State budget.
S – Reduction of Tax Rate and Modernization of Communications Users Tax.
Asks the voter to decide if an ordinance should be adopted to reduce the City’s tax on communications users (telephones, cell phones, etc.) from 10% to 9%; modernize the ordinance to treat taxpayers equally regardless of technology used. Although the money goes into the city’s general fund, it represents a major chunk of the public-safety spending.
Ballot terminology
An initiative, often referred to as “direct democracy” is a process by which the people can place measures on the ballot. The measures can either create or change statues and amend the California Constitution. A simple majority of the public’s vote is required for the initiative to be enacted.
A referendum is the power of the people to approve or reject statues adopted by the State Legislature. Once on the ballot, the law is defeated if voters cast more “no” votes than “yes” votes on the referendum.
