[Dog Gone]

Why not start collecting the signatures now? Davis said he will sign it.

[CdMGuy]

Exactly. The signature collection should begin immediately. Force Davis' hand. This is just more ammo to make this guy look like the idiot that he is. Get it on the ballot. Even if Davis vetoed the bill, the emotional level is already up, and passage would prevent the Dems from doing the same thing next year.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the article:

Only then can the opposition begin to gather the 419,260 signatures necessary to put a referendum on the ballot.

Maybe dalereed knows why!

[daviddennis]

I thought about that, but I'm sure there's some kind of legal trickery that says you can't move to rescind a law until it's a law.

From what I've read, the initiative's wording is capable of preventing the law from being implemented until the initiative is considered by the voters (passed or failed). I assume this is only possible if the initiative is set for the ballot after the law is passed.

I think we can assume without fear of contradiction that the automakers have lawyers working on this 24/7, and that there is in fact a valid reason, similar to what I cited above.

Ernest, you're right that it is an excellent exciter for Simon's base, but as far as I can tell, Simon's base is plenty excited already, both with Simon being "our" man and Davis being clearly unfit for office.

Davis' base is sullen and cranky; remember that article I posted a week or so ago from the LA Weekly about the disgraceful condition of inner city schools? He needed to do something dramatic to get his base's attention, so he did. He may well realize that, when it actually gets around to taking effect (after he's been out of office for over a year!) it's not going to do a thing, for the same reason the electric car mandate failed.

The fact that he is planning to sign this bill, while he would not have done so a few months ago, is an indication of his desperation.

GC, you don't want to use the kind of pejorative language in any attempt to get soccer moms to listen to you. They won't sympathise with the "demonRATS" and the like, however funny it may sound to us.

I'd say something like this:

WARNING TO ALL SUV OWNERS!

The out of touch pirates of Sacramanto are taking away our SUVs! A California bill, number AB1493, fights insignificant amounts of pollution created by the larger vehicles most of us prefer. It has already passed in the California House and Senate, only awaiting Governor Gray Davis' signature ... and he says he will sign!

This nasty bill, designed to reduce global warming, is really designed to take away your right to a vehicle of your choice.

DON'T LET GRAY DAVIS AND ALLIES WIN!
VOTE FOR BILL SIMON AND THE REPUBLICANS NOVEMBER
AND ROLL BACK THIS DASTERDLY ATTACK ON YOUR RIGHTS!

How's that?

D