“Schools and Communities First” Records Breaking Number of Signatures
ackers of the Schools and Communities First Ballot Initiative didn’t let a little thing like a global pandemic stop them from submitting 1.7 million signatures to the California Secretary of State to earn a spot on the November ballot. The measure needs 50%+1 vote to pass. California’s fiscal analyst estimates it would raise an estimated $8-$12.5 billion a year for education and public safety by changing the state constitution and raising property taxes on California’s largest businesses.
“Now more than ever, we need to support those heroes on the front lines who have been caring for the most vulnerable, educating our children, and keeping Californians safe,” said Alex Stack, communications director for the Schools & Communities First campaign, in a press statement.
Backers of the Schools and Communities First Ballot Initiative didn’t let a little thing like a global pandemic stop them from submitting 1.7 million signatures to the California Secretary of State to earn a spot on the November ballot.
Backers of the Schools and Communities First Ballot Initiative didn’t let a little thing like a global pandemic stop them from submitting 1.7 million signatures to the California Secretary of State to earn a spot on the November ballot.
To qualify for the fall ballot, Schools and Communities First would need nearly one million verified signatures (read: signatures of voters registered in California). Because of poor handwriting, error recording the signatures or people just putting bad information on the signature sheets, the state recommends gathering 20% more signatures than the minimum requirement.
Schools and Communities First went farther, gathering a record-making 1.7 million signatures – the vast majority of which were collected before COVID19 changed the way people live their lives.
If this news seems familiar, it’s because a similar measure has already qualified for the fall ballot. This replacement measure reduces the number of businesses that would be impacted, alleviating the concerns of some small business owners. According to Stack, once the signatures on the new measure are approved, the other measure will be removed from the ballot.
If passed, Schools and Communities First would raise money by repealing a portion of the iconic CONTINUE READING: “Schools and Communities First” Records Breaking Number of Signatures - LA Progressive