California State Legislator Ethics Rules Modification Initiative (2016)
| California "Honest Legislator Program Act" Initiative | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic State legislatures measures | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin Citizens |
| Voting on State Legislature |
|---|
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| Ballot Measures |
| By state |
| By year |
| Not on ballot |
The California State Legislators Ethics, Rules and Procedures Reform Initiative (#5-0125A1) was a proposed initiative and was not put on the November 8, 2016, ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment.
Petitioners named this initiative the "Honest Legislator Program Act."[1]
This initiative was designed to require state legislators and candidates for state legislative offices to take lie detector tests concerning residency and conduct and suspend legislators indicted for felonies without pay. Under the initiative, other ethics changes would also be enacted.[1]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The official ballot title was:[2]
| “ |
State Legislature. Candidates and Officeholders. Rules and Procedures. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.[3] |
” |
Ballot summary
The official ballot summary was:[2]
| “ |
Requires legislators and legislative candidates take lie detector tests regarding residency and conduct while in office. Suspends legislators indicted for felonies from office without pay. Expands residency requirements and eliminates contractual and privacy rights for legislators. Repeals confidentiality provisions governing certain legislative proceedings and records. Prohibits legislators from receiving compensation from persons or businesses that have lobbied the Legislature within prior 48 months. Prohibits former legislators from lobbying Legislature or elected state officials for 12 years after leaving office.[3] |
” |
Full text
The full text of the measure could be found here.
Fiscal impact
Note: The fiscal impact statement for a California ballot initiative authorized for circulation is jointly prepared by the state's legislative analyst and its director of finance. The statement for this initiative:[2]
| “ |
Potential state costs of millions of dollars or more each year to administer lie detector tests.[3] |
” |
Path to the ballot
- Robert Owen Bernstein submitted a letter requesting a title and summary on February 1, 2016.[1]
- A title and summary were issued by California's attorney general's office on March 4, 2016.[2]
- 585,407 valid signatures were required for qualification purposes.
- Supporters had until August 31, 2016, to collect the required signatures.
State profile
| Demographic data for California | ||
|---|---|---|
| California | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 38,993,940 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 155,779 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 61.8% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 5.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 13.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.7% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.4% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 4.5% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 38.4% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 81.8% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31.4% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $61,818 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 18.2% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in California
California voted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More California coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in California
- United States congressional delegations from California
- Public policy in California
- Endorsers in California
- California fact checks
- More...
See also
- 2016 ballot measures
- State legislatures measures on the ballot
- Elections and campaigns on the ballot
- California 2016 ballot propositions
- California ballot measures
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 California Secretary of State, "Full text (Initiative 5-0125A1)," accessed March 5, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 California Secretary of State, "Initiatives and Referenda Cleared for Circulation," accessed March 5, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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