SB 34 – Restricting Paid Petition Gathering

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:41:20 +0000

Bill of the Week – SB 34-Restricting Paid Petition Gathering

Under existing law, any person who is a voter or is qualified to register to vote in California may circulate an initiative or referendum petition. Any voter may circulate a recall petition. This bill would create a new crime, by making it a misdemeanor for anyone to pay or receive anything of value, based on the number of signatures obtained on an initiative, referendum, or recall petition. This applies to state and local issues. If an organization violates this law, it will face a fine of up to$25,000 and/or up to a year of imprisonment. An individual who violates the law will face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to a year of imprisonment.

CRFI opposes this bill because it seeks to restrict the people’s ability to place measures on the ballot. Every initiative, referendum, and recall petition in California has a notice printed at the top, telling signers that they have the right to ask whether the signature gatherer is paid or a volunteer. Also, qualifying a measure for the California ballot requires hundreds of thousands of signatures. Almost every measure that qualifies with signatures needs paid signatures gatherers. Campaign workers, who want to make their voices heard in the California legislature, can be paid. CRFI maintains that voters should free to receive compensation for the hours they contribute toward making their voices heard on the California ballot.

Read SB 34

In our town we always have petitions going around, right now one to recall one of our council members. What do you think, bad or good idea?

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Oceanside Connect » Legislation

SB 34 – Restricting Paid Petition Gathering