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California Local Zoning, Land Use, and Jails Initiative (2022)
| California Local Zoning, Land Use, and Jails Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic County and municipal governance | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
The California Local Zoning, Land Use, and Jails Initiative (#20-0002) was not on the ballot in California as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute on November 8, 2022.
The ballot measure would have allowed county and city laws that address land use and zoning, including the construction, planning, selection, and regulation of housing, parks, and streets, to override conflicting state laws. The ballot measure would have considered state laws and regulations related to land use and zoning to be non-binding guidelines for counties and cities.[1]
The ballot measure would have required the California State Legislature to provide for "a number and location [of superior courts] to make access to court services convenient and speedy for all Californians."[1]
The ballot measure would have required that the state, rather than counties, keep people convicted of felonies in prisons if the county sheriff certifies to a court that the county jail system is at or above maximum capacity.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Allows Local Governments to Override State Land-use and Zoning Laws. Requires State Funding for County Highways, Housing, and Courts. Changes Where Some Inmates Are Housed. Initiative Constitutional and Statutory Amendment.[3] |
” |
Petition summary
The summary provided for inclusion on signature petition sheets was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Allows city and county land-use and zoning laws to override conflicting state laws. Requires Legislature to fund county highway construction and maintenance, housing infrastructure, and superior courts, as requested by county governments. Requires adequate superior court staffing to ensure adequate court services. Requires state prisons to house certain felons currently housed in jails if the county sheriff certifies that the county jails have reached maximum capacity.[3] |
” |
Fiscal impact
The fiscal impact statement was as follows:[2]
| “ |
Unknown, potentially significant increase in state costs because the state would assume financial responsibility over some local government services and/or costs. Unknown net decrease in local government costs associated with city and county costs that would shift to the state and some offsetting new costs.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the ballot measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
Process in California
In California, the number of signatures required for a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is equal to 8 percent of the votes cast in the preceding gubernatorial election. Petitions are allowed to circulate for 180 days from the date the attorney general prepares the petition language. Signatures need to be certified at least 131 days before the general election. As the verification process can take multiple months, the secretary of state provides suggested deadlines for ballot initiatives.
The requirements to get combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statutes certified for the 2022 ballot:
- Signatures: 997,139 valid signatures were required.
- Deadline: The deadline for signature verification was 131 days before the general election, which was around June 30, 2022. However, the process of verifying signatures can take multiple months and proponents are recommended to file signatures at least two months before the verification deadline.
Signatures are first filed with local election officials, who determine the total number of signatures submitted. If the total number is equal to at least 100 percent of the required signatures, then local election officials perform a random check of signatures submitted in their counties. If the random sample estimates that more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, the initiative is eligible for the ballot. If the random sample estimates that between 95 and 110 percent of the required number of signatures are valid, a full check of signatures is done to determine the total number of valid signatures. If less than 95 percent are estimated to be valid, the initiative does not make the ballot.
Stages of this initiative
On July 27, 2020, Arnold Ruiz and Richard L. Hendrickson filed the ballot initiative.[1] Attorney General Xavier Becerra (D) released ballot language for the initiative on September 30, 2020.[4]
Proponents had until March 29, 2021, to collect 997,139 signatures. Signatures were not filed by the deadline.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 California Attorney General, "Initiative #20-0002," July 27, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed September 11, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Attorney General, "Initiative and Referendum Qualification Status," accessed July 27, 2020
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