Posted on 11/28/2005 7:09:08 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may have forsaken ballot initiatives for the near future, but lawmakers and advocacy groups are moving forward with new proposals to raise taxes on cigarettes and the wealthy, keep sex offenders off the streets, increase spending on preschools and healthcare and forever ban same-sex marriage.
Schwarzenegger interpreted the rejection of all eight measures in this month's special election as a sign that California voters want lawmakers to solve the state's problems by themselves. But advocates from across the political spectrum — including several Republican state legislators — say they are preparing initiatives for next year either to override the Democratic-led Legislature or break through the Capitol's partisan paralysis.
Actor and director Rob Reiner has collected more than 1 million signatures for a proposition that would increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for universal preschool. If validated by elections officials, the names would be more than enough to place the measure on the June primary ballot.
"We're building a very broad coalition and we're going about this in a very responsible way and we're not trying to shove something down people's throats by fiat," Reiner said, contrasting his proposal with the ones Schwarzenegger and his allies devised this year.
Meanwhile, two groups are gathering signatures for competing initiatives that would raise the state's cigarette tax by $1.50 a pack, to $2.37. That would be higher than in any other state except Rhode Island ($2.46) and New Jersey ($2.40), according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, an advocacy group in Washington, D.C. A spokesman for Philip Morris USA said such an increase in California would be excessive.
But the potential revenue from such a tax — about $1.5 billion a year — is being eyed.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
In the hopper and coming down the pipeline..
California Secretary of State
Initiative Update as of November 16, 2005
http://ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_j.htm
Just what we need in CA, more taxes. :(
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.