Not long ago Jack posted a story about a ballot initiative to change the term limit law. The ballot summary, crafted by Democratic Attorney General Jerry Brown, was to be a quick fix for legislators like Don Perata and Fabian Nunez slated to be termed out on their ears next cycle.
WELL…according to John Fund on WSJ Opinion Journal…the scheme has hit a few bumps in the road:
…those in charge of gathering signatures to put the measure on the ballot — mostly paid mercenaries and public employee union members — may have slacked off on the job. County voter registrars are reporting that an
unusually low number of signatures are passing muster during sample checks. Los Angeles County, for example, is clocking in with only a very low 59% validity rate. *** While it’s still likely the measure will qualify for the ballot, registrars now are contemplating a laborious manual check of the million-plus signatures, a process that might not be completed by the late September deadline to allow the measure to qualify for the February presidential primary ballot. If not, the measure would have to go on the June primary ballot, when parties nominate candidates for Congress and the state legislature. *** But there’s a fly in the political ointment: Candidates for state legislature must file for re-election in March. None of the termed-out legislators would legally be eligible to file. They’d have to seek other employment. *** There is another way to make sure the Perata-Nunez employment extension proposal makes it on the all-important February ballot. A two-thirds vote of the legislature can override any obstacles and place it there. But minority Republicans would be in a position to exact enormous concessions for supporting the initiative, including perhaps a redistricting commission that would draw more competitive seats or even a major overhaul of state budgeting practices.