[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6655332,"mediaKeyId","5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4","parentId",5403806,"title","Committee approves SB 512 to affirm voters' ability to qualify transportation sales taxes by citizen initiative","audioSeconds",498,"startMs",5913000,"endMs",6411000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4&start=5913&end=6411","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4/thumbnail_5913000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6655332/California/Committee-approves-SB-512-to-affirm-voters-ability-to-qualify-transportation-sales-taxes-by-citizen-initiative","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655332-76c83b2834439b29158ec83ecdc45e2c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770809276&Signature=IhjysQsZxtzon7DIcfDNDr2KTVs8u7nnCGKawTd6lS0p5IqR7CO2r-XXRXD4XhO7wFFP7CHsiiaVoyG7eMgPTJsZAC3H7za5flRoP4heqEOqYADaoOsjAGEyUtI~xJxxoJFLpe87IxAUhHD~V2zIyaMYBy1izh8AImTgMxWXq370VtWYAkIVxENOr-GuYbiDfnKZdz0uxJDxtnlsR~vmySE7cQ0WTxTO0ZkJBlfnizGN09u1P0ZP79UgdwtyjBGnkmttao0DtCQeCpV1ZZaI1wKR4alOCpqye3gAnLcy-MflsncjftkGjMGAux5HE8KM-JITnV30nApkweF0EAaM0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House","date","2025-07-16T00:00:00Z","article","The Assembly Elections Committee on July 16 voted to pass SB 512 as amended and re-refer the measure to the Committee on Appropriations. Senator Perez presented the bill and said it does not authorize or mandate taxes but clarifies that voters in a transportation district can propose and pass transportation transactions and use tax measures by citizen initiative.

Perez said the measure responds to conflicts between the Elections Code and Proposition 218 that could leave citizen-initiated transportation tax measures vulnerable to litigation, delaying projects and increasing costs. The bill would align the Elections Code with Proposition 218 and related statutes so a citizen-qualified transportation sales tax measure would not face procedural uncertainty.

Supporters included the Self Help Counties Coalition, State Building and Construction Trades Council, Transportation California, county transportation commissions, contractors' associations, and engineering and trade groups. Opponents included the California Association of Realtors, California Chamber of Commerce, Family Business Association of California, and California Fuels Convenience Alliance, who registered respectful opposition during the hearing.

Assemblymember Bennett moved the bill and Assemblymember Solace seconded. The clerk's roll call recorded the committee vote as \"out 5 to 2.\" The author and supporters said the bill preserves the existing vote thresholds for approval of taxes and seeks only to prevent procedural suits that could disrupt local transportation financing efforts.

Senator Perez and supporters emphasized the bill does not change the required majority for approving taxes and that it is intended to provide clarity so citizens and local governments can rely on initiative results without costly litigation.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Assembly Elections Committee","oneSentenceSummary","SB 512, presented by Senator Perez, passed the Assembly Elections Committee; the bill aligns the Elections Code with Proposition 218 to clarify that voters within transportation districts can qualify transportation transaction and use tax measures by citizen initiative.","taxTitle","California State Assembly, House, Legislative, California","taxId",17099,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6655337,"Panel approves SB 760 to exempt broad public appeals for charity from certain reporting rules",473,4602000,5075000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4&start=4602&end=5075","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4/thumbnail_4602000.jpg","/articles/6655337/California/Panel-approves-SB-760-to-exempt-broad-public-appeals-for-charity-from-certain-reporting-rules","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655337-48506c236d7580dc7bff5219ed6b84f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770809276&Signature=XBJaYQNr6b1MJ4~8EcmbYXLmWwB951nUouR-9EFgkFj5Q7kQE1XAWhjAw8IYioLuq8dVQwcOKNx711SI24hCrpkSrSytHT25qUGrd7Z-NiAD9XjXut9sw7GlY8ZX2fumhgwVrDTOK7DbaYQDIXh6P8k~7ehUTcgD~vanR2bwNFbUyDqeaNoaywrdnq9TvSxvKcS6zcFH4itlr0DiOPlRsZhhOIGplYlw2JZ0Ax1PZHlpphbj9GjUSDGzaIKZ1rJRt~8grRwUHr-CD9bgvF7Cpm6v2nTolZQuSDYdfJDgCgbnoiwQUFrznSvpc9EX-YB8dfkRpk1rw6IUWV1cFu1ttg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Assembly Elections Committee voted to pass SB 760 as amended on July 16 and re-refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations. Senator Allen presented the bill and said it would clarify when elected officials' public appeals for charitable donations trigger reporting requirements under existing payment-reporting rules.

Allen told the committee that current rules—intended to disclose possible influence when elected officials solicit donations—can chill public appeals for aid during disasters because officials worry an ordinary public request could be treated as a \"behest\" trigger for reporting. He described instances during recent wildfires when charities were providing relief and officials were reluctant to publicly encourage donations for fear of complex reporting obligations.

The amended SB 760, as described by Allen and supporting witnesses, exempts good-faith public appeals made through TV, radio, social media, or public speeches from triggering payment-reporting requirements, while preserving reporting when an official or their immediate family or staff has a defined conflict (for example, paid affiliation, board positions, or decision-making authority). The amendments also preserve reporting for solicitations made at fundraisers where the official is featured and directly asks attendees to donate.

Trent Lang of the California Clean Money Campaign testified in support of the amended bill, saying the changes strike a balance between transparency and enabling pro-social appeals for help after disasters. Multiple committee members thanked the author and supporters and expressed interest in continued work to refine the bill with attention to organizations that engage in political advocacy.

Assemblymember Solace moved the bill and Assemblymember Bennett seconded. The clerk recorded the committee action as passed as amended, with the clerk announcing the bill was out \"4 to 0\" at the time and that the roll would be kept open for absent members.","SB 760, authored by Senator Allen, passed the Assembly Elections Committee with amendments that exempt good-faith public appeals (TV, radio, social media, public speeches) for charitable donations from certain payment-reporting requirements while preserving reporting when conflicts exist.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6655342,"Committee advances ACA 8 to let voters petition to put appellate and Supreme Court retention contests on the ballot",532,4073000,4605000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4&start=4073&end=4605","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4/thumbnail_4073000.jpg","/articles/6655342/California/Committee-advances-ACA-8-to-let-voters-petition-to-put-appellate-and-Supreme-Court-retention-contests-on-the-ballot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655342-e5850706a708c57e3cbae1aefd80a9e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770809276&Signature=JPjnJUT-zDfjKGE1Vy2q1dE~05QPbtDL5FmOJcZpXcfPNzv0zr7Yc0Akfyxo7UPbH7HtDVc0NMlNhm0h9iTPb6OUCV8qfMrNHq2TzBvB2dVXmYcVDUBOCJWTMTcIboWasDoBbXgMub2f-ohF~baSclCUljlyr3k1te8jNAOr7PJRRM67LtS3iWT4OISi18Lkx6Pi79hPDy7xXXdZewW92gTWdF85hAUyWHATcOOEZAJ12KvjQtgbaiy0O~IxVmv6jd2e3wVrOFsbxypAuABdTkL-Ovswd-MrmWAzHiAELcy2S2MbwKcwAVFQ0oh9oy4XgqMDIrXCEJJOvATzrzj9iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Assembly Elections Committee on July 16 voted to pass Assembly Constitutional Amendment 8 and re-refer it to the Committee on Appropriations. ACA 8, introduced by Assemblymember Pellerin, would ask voters whether to amend the California Constitution so that appellate and Supreme Court justices appear on retention ballots only if a petition by registered voters is filed; absent a petition, the justice would be retained without appearing on the ballot.

Pellerin told the committee that retention contests routinely add a dozen-plus contests to gubernatorial election ballots, contributing to ballot fatigue and high roll-off rates. She said retention contests have resulted in retention more than 99.5% of the time since 1934 and cited high blank-ballot rates in retention contests.

Tim Cromartie, representing Secretary of State Shirley Weber's office, testified in support and said Secretary of State Weber's office supports ACA 8 as a limited reform to judicial election provisions that could reduce ballot clutter while preserving voters' ability to remove judges through a petition process. Dora Rose of the League of Women Voters also testified in support, noting the league backed the original retention system but now supports a petition-based process to better focus voter attention.

Pellerin said the amendment would not prevent voters from putting judges on the ballot; it would require a petition to trigger inclusion. She acknowledged the implementation threshold (signature-count threshold) would not be placed in the constitution; the plan is to propose legislation next year to set an appropriate number of signatures.

The committee discussed concerns that a future legislature might raise the petition threshold to an unrealistically high level, which led at least one member to withhold support during the hearing. The committee ultimately recorded ACA 8 as passed and re-referred to Appropriations; the clerk announced the bill \"out 4 to 2.\" Pellerin said she would work with stakeholders on a later statute to determine the signature threshold if voters approve the constitutional change.","ACA 8, authored by Assemblymember Pellerin, would place appellate and Supreme Court retention elections on the ballot only if a petition by registered voters requests inclusion. The committee passed the measure and will send it to Appropriations.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6655347,"Committee advances bill to let 16- and 17-year-olds pre-register and expand high-school voter education",686,3190000,3876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4&start=3190&end=3876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4/thumbnail_3190000.jpg","/articles/6655347/California/Committee-advances-bill-to-let-16-and-17-year-olds-pre-register-and-expand-high-school-voter-education","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655347-5f24fd7c73532113003f96345bccbcfb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770809276&Signature=HTnIchmHi6RVxk51bVtCtTdhMx5235~gymmHFFm0OL0fJJuPpWPk570RT69UnncwCFF~Ocxh8lkXd8dyRn4-uSmsd9~q7jRTdLxtZfUweZ8gWnMPAOyd7BofUqWWIP13ajImUmGoLFNQypbo3wQN57YW5QwRrDZL4fT~nLjo9BIVsBPLLSaUQZmsrpAUtn-aDUmemlPvHJq3TX838BPdNh5pfIw86vuB7r2vwmpz7kjLx0C-MLJ3B7c~1~tg234wR7hDAerptFAtEw-7Zv95pvTqDDmoqX7HCJx0XKV9Kk61MhRkZcEF30UZakzUdnOaMlghnF3j6XhjHIKrlQtf6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Assembly Elections Committee on July 16 voted to pass SB 3 16, the High School Voter Registration Act, as amended and re-refer the measure to the Committee on Appropriations. The bill was presented on behalf of Senator Reyes and accepted committee amendments.

SB 3 16 would permit 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote so they become automatically registered on their 18th birthday. The bill would also require high schools to distribute voter registration materials and informational notices to students before the end of 11th grade, including information on in-person voting, vote-by-mail procedures, signature importance, ballot tracking, services for voters with disabilities, and key election dates.

Student witnesses and youth civic organizations testified in support. Ruben (Ruben) Torres, a high school student in San Bernardino with Inland Congregations United for Change, said current civics instruction and existing registration efforts were inconsistent and that SB 3 16 would provide practical, uniform guidance. \"SB 3 16 ensures that every eleventh grade student receives clear, practical information about how to register and how to preregister to vote,\" Torres said.

Ruth Sosa Martinez, policy strategist with Power CA Action and a bill cosponsor, told the committee the measure sets a low-cost, consistent standard for schools and would address equity by making voter information available regardless of school resources. She noted fewer than half of high schools responded to the Secretary of State's 2022 survey and many reported being unaware of requirements.

Supporters in the room also included representatives from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Legal Aid of Voters of California (Dora Rose), the California Chamber of Commerce, Disability Rights California, and several student organizers. There were no primary witnesses in opposition at the hearing.

Assemblymember Bennett moved the bill; a member seconded. The committee roll-call recorded the measure as passed as amended by a 4-to-1 vote (the clerk announced \"out 4 to 1\"). The chair praised the youth speakers and encouraged the committee to support the measure.","The Assembly Elections Committee passed SB 3 16 (presented for Senator Reyes), which would require high schools to provide pre-registration information to 11th graders and distribute voter registration materials before the end of 11th grade.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6655352,"Assembly committee advances SB 3 to standardize signature-curing forms and ballot notices",223,2924000,3147000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4&start=2924&end=3147","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5403806-d8a1b21d01c51ad29ec75e1ba2dbc9c4/thumbnail_2924000.jpg","/articles/6655352/California/Assembly-committee-advances-SB-3-to-standardize-signature-curing-forms-and-ballot-notices","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655352-786bb4305f637224c85dc6e983e8e81b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770809276&Signature=aHf0lyEnFpuce~3EB0309biT7eMcltD87XNgEhr~0IJoJRTL5x-bFcIqM5IAeqOj8VzUoVgb5s0HlpT9Ov-0aVxnxlproquJEvasFRE1Hq6PNqS~Nij-hsctOq5oqe25CUo-sNwNqabZk24mGyGaMXGfsZ0hgNBOHKkLAZLUuaDThFXMvzR3iXQTQsGxCq5LqG3nWX~gydgeNFcMBm3mRkK58ixgugslUM5TdB8-ctcrIrXohHeOhxjxIiLBZ8TNn~cXPzTMxs9hxCZqd~Mvscb-UX-fD5Ns53Smgdx3LKC081Rgaajsn01y7dcUxezV56~gEa8tDjEz0gT749zFYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Assembly Elections Committee on July 16 voted to pass SB 3 as amended and re-refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations. The measure, authored by Senator Cervantes and presented to the committee, would require county registrars to accept only signature-curing forms that come from the Secretary of State or the county registrar and add a notice on vote-by-mail envelopes informing voters that signatures may be compared with other signatures the county has on file.

Senator Cervantes told the committee the bill grew out of a March informational hearing on signature curing and is a companion to Assembly Bill 827. \"SB 3 is a manifestation of what we learned from senate elections' March informational hearing about the signature curing process,\" Cervantes said, and she told members she accepted the committee's suggested amendments.

The bill's principal changes aim to reduce the proliferation of campaign-created curing forms and the resulting inconsistent practices by county registrars. Cervantes said the envelope notice could remind voters that their ballot signature may be compared with signatures on file, which may include a driver's license signature.

There were no primary witnesses in support or opposition in the hearing room. Assemblymember Bennett moved the bill and Assemblymember Stephanie seconded. The clerk called the roll and recorded the committee's action as \"do pass as amended and be re-referred to appropriations.\" The clerk announced the bill was out \"4 to 0\" at the time of that roll call and that the roll would be kept open for absent members.

The committee record shows the bill's amendments were accepted and staff worked with the author on technical changes. No formal opposition testimony was presented at the hearing.

If enacted, SB 3 would constrain which signature-curing forms county registrars may accept and require an envelope notice to voters about signature comparison; the bill does not change the underlying rules for how registrars adjudicate signature validity.","The Assembly Elections Committee on July 16 approved SB 3, which would limit signature-curing forms to those produced by the Secretary of State or county registrars and add a notice to vote-by-mail envelopes about signature comparison practices.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee approves SB 512 to affirm voters' ability to qualify transportation sales taxes by citizen initiative

Panel approves SB 760 to exempt broad public appeals for charity from certain reporting rules

Committee advances ACA 8 to let voters petition to put appellate and Supreme Court retention contests on the ballot

Committee advances bill to let 16- and 17-year-olds pre-register and expand high-school voter education

Assembly committee advances SB 3 to standardize signature-curing forms and ballot notices