California
Californians could legally possess up to one ounce of pot and cities could sell and tax the drug under an initiative marijuana advocates want to place on the state’s 2010 ballot. The Control, Regulate and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 is being pushed by pot activists who sense a positive shift in public sentiment toward the federally banned substance. A recent Field Poll found that 56 percent of California voters supported legalizing marijuana for recreational use and taxing its proceeds.
A school bond measure possibly planned for the November ballot will have to wait, administrators and trustees said during a Mountain View Whisman School District board meeting this week.
With an eye on generating more revenue for the city, the Banning City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to hire a political consultant to help plan a ballot tax measure.
The Mendocino County Tomorrow ballot initiative that, if passed, would rezone the former Masonite site from industrial to mixed-use, was accepted at Tuesday’s Mendocino County Board of Supervisors meeting for inclusion on the November ballot.
The idea of moving the Oakland A’s to San Jose is getting more support in Silicon Valley. Four cities in Santa Clara County have signed resolutions supporting the San Jose A’s.
Voters in Oxnard may decide on whether 2,500 moderate- and low-income homes are built on 165 acres of strawberry fields north of the city.
The City Council will consider tonight asking voters to stop directly electing the city’s mayor, and instead make the post a ceremonial one.
Piedmont voters solidified support of their schools with the healthy passage of two parcel tax measures in a special election held Tuesday. Both measures required a two-thirds majority to pass. The measures were placed on the ballot to offset state take-aways and preserve staff and programs in a school district that prides itself on excellence; it ranks second in the state for academics.
The close to 11,000 signatures collected in support of placing the Mendocino County Tomorrow ballot initiative in front of voters will be before the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors during its regular meeting on Tuesday. The board will be asked whether or not to certify the petition for inclusion on a future ballot. The item currently resides on the consent calendar, which is reserved for issues that are “considered routine and non-controversial.”
Ballots for Oakland’s July mail-only election will be sent to city voters June 22 ”” and information on four ballot measures voters will consider is posted on the city’s Web site, www.oaklandnet.com.
If all the measures passed, it could generate $7 million to $8 million, according to city estimates.
In the midst of a deep economic recession, voters rejected Tuesday a parcel tax measure that would have helped the Redwood City School District weather cuts in state funding.
Facing a looming voter initiative, the City Council late Tuesday unanimously OK’d spending and contribution limits on future Benicia elections.
A California pension reform group that believes taxpayers ought to know the names of retired public employees who collect generous retirement checks has hit a legal snag. A retired Contra Costa deputy sheriff has filed a legal challenge to stop the release of names and pension amounts of former county employees who collect $100,000 or more per year.
Following a brief discussion, the Lakeport City Council on Tuesday took its final vote on an ordinance to ban state-approved fireworks in the city limits.
In the face of what appeared to be a foregone conclusion, opponents of the action put the council on notice of their intention to move forward with a ballot measure this fall.
If opponents of a planned downtown Neiman Marcus store succeed in putting the project on the ballot this fall, they can at least partly thank a 67-year-old balladeer from Monterey.