San Francisco Gate
Sacramento — In his first year back as California’s leader, Gov. Jerry Brown was unable to get what he wanted.
Voters returned Brown to the Capitol for a third term after he campaigned as a seasoned, no-nonsense veteran who knew how to get things done. But Brown didn’t anticipate how much Capitol politics had changed in his 28-yearabsence.
He re-entered office last January pushing a plan to allow Californians to decide whether to raise taxes or face further cuts to government services. The effort failed because the governor did not get a handful of necessary Republican votes to place a tax measure on the ballot.
Two prominent East Bay marijuana advocates got clearance from the state today to try to put a pot-legalization initiative on the November 2010 California ballot. Richard Lee, executive director of the medical marijuana dispensary known as Oaksterdam, and Jeff Jones, former director of the Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative, are the sponsors of a measure that would allow anyone over 21 to possess or grow marijuana for personal use. It would allow each local government to decide whether to tax and regulate marijuana sales.
You’ve heard that Equality California and other same-sex marriage groups suggest waiting until 2012 to ask California voters to approve same sex marriage. But don’t sleep on seeing a ballot measure in 2010 just yet. As we speak, the 700,000-member Courage Campaign is pumping more than $200,000 into researching and focus-grouping possible ballot language around California. Leading this effort is Steve Hildebrand, the Obama confidante and gay rights advocate who told us a while back that he’s ready to go back to the ballot ASAP.
For years, cities dissatisfied with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have tried to break away from the utility company, either by joining another or going into the power business for themselves. They have rarely succeeded in breaking free. Now PG&E is backing a statewide ballot measure that would make it even harder for cities and counties to leave. Under the measure, local governments that plan to start selling electricity would first need a two-thirds vote of approval from their residents if the plans required public financing.