California Politicians Made Personally Liable for Unscrupulous Behavior (2012)

Not on Ballot
This measure did not or will not appear on a ballot

A California Politicians Made Personally Liable for Unscrupulous Behavior Initiative (11-0031) was approved for circulation in California with a circulation deadline of March 8, 2012. However, its sponsors did not submit petition signatures to election officials by the deadline.

To earn a spot on the state's 2012 ballot, sponsors of the initiative would have had to collect 504,760 signatures.

If the initiative had qualified for the ballot and the state's voters had approved it, it would have:

• Required candidates for office, government officials, and government advisors "to use personal funds to pay any damages and their own legal expenses arising from claims of unscrupulous behavior."
• Defined unscrupulous behavior to include "negligence, ethics violations, direction to subordinates that is contrary to or expands beyond existing law, breach of contract, and unfulfilled campaign promises."
• Imposed penalties for "unscrupulous behavior, or for improper use of public funds to defend against claims of unscrupulous behavior, including imprisonment, fines, forfeiture, punitive damages, nullification of unscrupulous acts, and ineligibility for public office."

Text of measure

See also: Ballot titles, summaries and fiscal statements for California's 2012 ballot propositions

Ballot title:

State and Local Government Officials. Personal Liability. Initiative Statute.

Official summary:

"Requires candidates for office, government officials, and government advisors to use personal funds to pay any damages and their own legal expenses arising from claims of unscrupulous behavior. Defines unscrupulous behavior to include negligence, ethics violations, direction to subordinates that is contrary to or expands beyond existing law, breach of contract, and unfulfilled campaign promises. Imposes penalties for unscrupulous behavior, or for improper use of public funds to defend against claims of unscrupulous behavior, including imprisonment, fines, forfeiture, punitive damages, nullification of unscrupulous acts, and ineligibility for public office."

Summary of estimated fiscal impact:

See also: Fiscal impact statements for California's 2012 ballot propositions

(This is a summary of the initiative's estimated "fiscal impact on state and local government" prepared by the California Legislative Analyst's Office and the Director of Finance.)

"Potential increase in state and local government costs in the range of millions of dollars annually."

Path to the ballot

See also: California signature requirements

• Larry Click submitted a letter requesting a ballot title on August 17, 2011.
• The ballot title and ballot summary were issued by the Attorney General of California's office on October 10, 2011.
• 504,760 valid signatures were required for qualification purposes.
• The 150-day circulation deadline for #11-0030 was March 8, 2012.
• Signatures were not submitted by the deadline.

External links

• Letter requesting a ballot title for Initiative 11-0031

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