California Proposition 131, Term Limits and Campaign Finance Limits Initiative (1990)

California Proposition 131
Election date November 6, 1990
Topic Elections and campaigns and Term limits
Status d Defeated
Type Amendment & Statute	Origin Citizens

California Proposition 131 was on the ballot as a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute in California on November 6, 1990. It was defeated.

A "yes" vote supported limiting elected statewide officials to eight successive years in office and state legislators and members of the Board of Equalization to 12 successive years; establishing campaign finance contribution limits; providing public campaign financing for candidates who agree to campaign finance expenditure limits; and changing limits on the maximum amount of gifts to legislators.

A "no" vote opposed changing campaign finance limits, imposing term limits, and changing limits on gifts to state legislators.

Election results

California Proposition 131
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		2,723,763	37.75%
No		4,490,973	62.25%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Proposition 131 was as follows:

“

Limits on Terms of Office. Ethics. Campaign Financing. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.

”

Ballot summary

The ballot summary for this measure was:

“

Limits elected statewide officials to eight successive years in office; state legislators, Board of Equalization members to twelve successive years. Limits gifts to elected state, local officials. Enlarges conflict of interest prohibitions, remedies applicable to state, local government officials. Prohibits use of public resources for personal or campaign purposes. Authorizes special prosecutors. Establishes campaign contribution limits for elective offices. Provides partial public campaign financing for candidates to state office who agree to specified campaign expenditure limits. Substantially repeals campaign ballot measures, Proposition 68 and Proposition 73, enacted June, 1988.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Fiscal impact

The fiscal estimate provided by the California Legislative Analyst's Office said:

“

Unknown level of state revenues, possibly $12 million in 1990-91 and uncertain amounts thereafter, to be generated from state income tax check-off provisions for campaign financing; corresponding unknown revenue loss to state General Fund. Annual General Fund contributions of $5 million for campaign matching payments beginning January 1, 1992, amounts to increase in subsequent years. Unknown amount of state matching payments likely to be requested under measure for campaign financing by candidates for state office. State General Fund administrative costs of approximately $1.5 million in 1990-91, $3 million annually for subsequent years.

”

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures 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 at the preceding gubernatorial election. For initiated amendments filed in 1990, at least 595,485 valid signatures were required.

See also

1990 Measures

• 1990 Measures
• Executive official term limits on the ballot
• State legislative term limits on the ballot
• Campaign finance on the ballot
• 1990 legislative sessions

California

• California ballot measures
• California ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• California Voter Guide (November 1990)
• Full text of Proposition 131