GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE
JUNE 7TH 2023 HEARING OF THE
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS COMMITTEE.
CORN IS PRESENT, RIGHT? BEFORE
WE PROCEED. LET'S CALL THE ROLL
AND ESTABLISH A QUORUM. HERE.
BRAIN HAIR LACKEY HERE. BENNETT.
A SALLY HERE MAKIN ER MCKINNA
HERE LOW. PELLERIN PELLERIN
HERE, BLANCA RUBIO. WE HAVE A
QUORUM. BEAUTIFUL THANK YOU. WE
HAVE TWO OPTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC
TO TESTIFY. TODAY'S HEARING IN
PERSON OR BY MODERATED TELEPHONE
SERVICE. THE COMMITTEE HAS SIX
BILLS ON OUR AGENDA, INCLUDING
FIVE BILLS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR
CONSENT. FOR EACH BUILDER WILL
BE A MAXIMUM OF TWO PRIMARY
WITNESSES AND SUPPORT AND TO
PRIMARY WITNESSES AND OPPOSITION
WITH A LIMIT OF TWO MINUTES PER
WITNESS. AFTER WE HAVE HEARD
FROM THE PRIMARY WITNESSES, THE
PUBLIC WILL HAVE UP TO 10
MINUTES IN TOTAL TIME FOR
ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT ON
EACH BILL, STARTING WITH MEMBERS
OF THE PUBLIC WHO ARE HERE IN
THIS COMMITTEE ROOM. OTHER
WITNESSES ARE LIMITED TO
PROVIDING THEIR NAME. THE
ORGANIZATION THEY REPRESENT. IF
ANY, AND THEIR POSITION ON THE
BILL. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS WILL
BE RULED OUT OF ORDER. IF WE ARE
UNABLE TO GET THROUGH, IF YOU
ARE UNABLE TO GET THROUGH ON THE
PHONE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO
SUBMIT WRITTEN TESTIMONY THROUGH
THE PORTAL ON THE COMMITTEE'S
WEBSITE. THIS WRITTEN TESTIMONY
BECOMES PART OF THE OFFICIAL
RECORD. OF THE BILL. FOR THOSE
WHO ARE WATCHING THIS HEARING
REMOTELY AND WISH TO CALL IN TO
REGISTER THEIR POSITION. THE
CALLING NUMBER FOR THIS HEARING
IS 87769 TO 89 57, AND THE
ACCESS CODE IS 1315444. YOU CAN
ALSO FIND THE NUMBER ON THE
ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS COMMITTEE
WEBSITE AS WELL AS ON YOUR TV OR
COMPUTER SCREEN. ANY PROBLEMS
WITH THE MODERATED PHONE
SERVICE. YOU CAN CALL THE
COMMITTEE DIRECTLY AT 916319
2094 AND MY INCREDIBLE COMMITTEE
STAFF WILL BE THERE TO TRY TO
HELP THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH
US AS WE IMPLEMENT METHODS TO
CONTINUE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF
CALIFORNIA. BEFORE WE MOVE ON
THE AGENDA HAVE AN ADDITIONAL
AMOUNT. I HAVE A COUPLE OF
ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS TO
MAKE. I HAVE A LETTER FROM
SPEAKER RENDON APPOINTING
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S TINA MCKINNON
TO REPLACE ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S
EARLY ON THE COMMITTEE FOR THE
PURPOSE OF TODAY'S HEARING. ONLY
ASSEMBLYMEMBER'S MAKIN ER THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US. WITH THOSE
ANNOUNCEMENTS OUT OF THE WAY
WILL NOW MOVE ON TO THE
COMMITTEE'S AGENDA. LET'S TAKE
UP THE COMMITTEE'S CONSENT
CALENDAR. THERE ARE FIVE BILLS
ON THE CALENDAR. THOSE BILLS ARE
ITEM NUMBER ONE SB 25 BY SENATOR
SKINNER. ITEM NUMBER THREE. SB 4
37. BY SENATOR DODD. ITEM NUMBER
FOUR. SB 6 78 BY SENATOR AMBURG
AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED AS
DETAILED AND COMMENT. NUMBER
FOUR. THE COMMITTEE ANALYSIS
ITEM NUMBER FIVE SB 789 BY
SENATOR ALLEN AS PROPOSED TO BE
AMENDED AS DETAILED IN COMMON
NUMBER FIVE OF THE COMMITTEE
ANALYSIS AND ITEM NUMBER SIX SB
7 98 BY OUR FRIEND AND SENATE
COUNTERPART. SENATOR STEVE
GLAZER. DOES ANY MEMBER WISH TO
REMOVE ANY ITEM FROM THE CONSENT
CALENDAR. SEEING AND HEARING
NONE. DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE
CONSENT COUNTER? MOTION BY VICE
CHAIR LACKEY AND MISS MAKIN, ER
MADAM SECRETARY, CAN WE CALL THE
ROLL? BRIAN HI, BRIAN. I LACKEY
I BENNETT, A SALLY. I MAKIN ER
MAKIN ER I LO LO I PELLERIN
BLANCA RUBIO. IN HISTORY. THE
CONSENT COUNTER IS ADOPTED 50 WE
ALSO HAVE RECEIVED WORD THAT
SENATOR ALLEN IS SPRINTING
RAPIDLY ON HIS WAY TO THE
COMMITTEE. AS WE SPEAK, AND WE
WILL TAKE UP THAT BILL WHEN HE
ARRIVES. YEAH.
AT THE GREEN. THE THEME OF THE
MEMBERS WALKING BY. THE GARLAND.
GOOD MORNING, MR CHERRY. YEAH.
SB 2 97. YOU CAN BEGIN WHENEVER
YOU'RE READY. THANK YOU, MR
CHAIR. WE'RE ALL RUNNING BACK
AND FORTH. UH, AND I GUESS A
COUPLE OF YOUR MEMBERS ARE
PRESENTING IN THE COMMITTEE THAT
I JUST GAVELED DOWN AND OVER
THERE. YEAH, SO ALRIGHT, UM,
MEMBERS, WE HAVE A GOOD SYSTEM
NOW IN PLACE THANKS TO THE
LEADERSHIP OF DARRELL STEINBERG
IN THE LEGISLATURE BEFORE ANY OF
US WERE HERE THAT CREATED A
SYSTEM WHERE WE NOW HAVE AN
ABILITY TO PULL A MEASURE BACK
WHEN PEOPLE HAVE PRESENTED I
MEASURE TO THE LEGISLATURE START
TO THE VOTERS WHEN PEOPLE
COLLECTED SIGNATURES FOR TO PUT
SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT, AND NOW
THERE'S A NEW MECHANISM IN PLACE
WHERE THERE CAN BE A
NEGOTIATION. AND IF THE
LEGISLATURE COMES UP WITH A
RESPONSIVE LEGISLATION, THEN THE
, UH THE PROPONENTS CAN PULL THE
MEASURE BACK. AND THE
LEGISLATURE MOVES FORWARD WITH
LEGISLATION AND WE DON'T HAVE TO
GO THROUGH ALL THE
UNPREDICTABILITY AND EXPENSE AND
MADNESS OF MANY OF THESE BALLOT
CAMPAIGNS NOW, ONE THING THAT'S
COME UP IS THAT THE CURRENT
RULES? SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE BALLOT
SIGNATORIES TO AGREE IN ORDER
FOR THE BALLOT MEASURES WE
PULLED BACK AND THAT CREATES.
YOU KNOW, I LIVED THROUGH THIS
MYSELF, YOU KNOW, IT CAN CREATE
SOME SOME REAL REAL CHALLENGES,
ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S A LOT OF
SIGNATORIES. YOU HAVE TO CHECK
OUT. YOU HAVE TO TRACK DOWN
EVERY SINGLE PERSON GET WET
SIGNATURES. UH AND IT CREATES A
GREAT DEAL OF UNPREDICTABILITY.
AND SO WE'VE SAT DOWN WITH SOME
GOOD GOVERNMENT GROUPS. AND I
FIGURED OUT A ALTERNATIVE PATH
THAT SAYS THAT IF YOU AS LONG AS
YOU HAVE A MAJORITY OF THE
SIGNATORIES WHO CAN AGREE, THEN
YOU CAN THEN THEN THAT WOULD BE
ACCEPTABLE. AND WE CREATE AN
ESCROW SYSTEM AS WELL. THAT WILL
JUST CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
FUNCTIONALITY. TO THE WAY THAT
THE REFERENDUM UM YOU KNOW, THE
REFERENDA CAN BE PULLED FROM THE
FROM THE BALLOT. AND SO THAT'S
WHAT THE SPILL IS ALL ABOUT. AND
I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK
YOUR I VOTE. THANK YOU, SENATOR
. ANY PRIMARY WITNESSES? AND
SUPPORT HERE IN THE ROOM. I
DON'T THINK SO. SAYING THAT ANY
PRIMARY WITNESSES AND OPPOSITION
I KNOW THE LEGAL IN VOTERS IS
SUPPORTING THE BUILDING. THAT'S
A GOOD GROUP TO HAVE. YEAH. I
GUESS WE'LL MOVE TO THE PHONE
LINES. MODERATOR THERE. IS THERE
ANYBODY ON THE PHONE LINES WOULD
LIKE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OR
OPPOSITION TO THIS BILL? SO
PLEASE PRESS 10 AT THIS TIME
AGAIN, IT'S 10. SEEING THAT ON
THE PHONE. THANK YOU ON THE
PHONE LINES. THERE'S SOMEBODY IN
THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO
REGISTER THEIR SUPPORT OF
OPPOSITION. THANK YOU. SUPPORT
PERFECT ADRIANA CHAMPAGNES MORE
WITH A LEAVE FROM VOTERS AND
STRONG SUPPORT. THANK THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I WILL
NOW TURN IT TO COMMITTEE
MEMBERS. ANYBODY ACCEPTING THE
COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS, THEN THANK
YOU. FOR THOSE HELPFUL
AMENDMENTS APPRECIATE THAT.
SEEING NO COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MOTION BY MR BENNETT, SECOND BY
MR LOWE. THANK YOU, MR JUST
CLARIFYING QUESTION YOU
REFERENCED HAVING TO GET UH,
PERMISSION FROM THE SIGNATORIES
BUT ACTUALLY REFERRING TO THE
PROPONENTS OF THE BILL, NOT THE
PEOPLE THAT SIGNED THE
INITIATIVE, CORRECT. WELL THE
WAY IT WORKS IS YOU HAVE IT'S
THE SIGNATORIES, SO IT'S USUALLY
THEY ARE THE PROPONENTS, BUT
YEAH. WE'VE GONE BACK AND LOOKED
AT HISTORY. SOMETIMES THERE'S A
LONG LIST OF PEOPLE. SOMETIMES
IT'S JUST ONE OR TWO. BUT BUT
BUT BUT THE LAW FOCUSES ON THE
FOLKS WHO SIGN THAT THERE THERE
THERE'S A THERE'S A SPECIAL
MECHANISM WHEREBY YOU SIGN AND
WHEN YOU'RE ONE OF THE
SIGNATORIES, YOU HAVE EFFECTIVE
CONTROL OVER THE MEASURE. YEAH I
JUST WANT TO CLARIFY. IT'S NOT
THE PEOPLE OF SIGNING
INITIATIVES, THE PEOPLE THAT
THAT'S RIGHT. SO SORRY. YOU'RE
RIGHT. EXACTLY AND THEN IT WOULD
BE A SMALLER CLASS OF PEOPLE
THERE. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS
THAT DEALS COULD BE CUT THAT
BENEFIT CERTAIN GROUPS, BUT NOT
OTHERS THAT ARE IN THAT
COALITION. AND SO JUST TO JUST
TO GET TO A MAJORITY THAT LEAVES
THEM OUT. I GO. I'M JUST
CONCERNED ABOUT UM WHERE YOU
COULD JUST CUT DEALS WITH TO
SATISFY A FEW MEMBERS OF THE
COALITION INSTEAD OF THE OVERALL
COALITION ITSELF. IT SEEMS TO
WATER IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. NO,
I HEAR YOU ON THAT. I THINK, UM
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
WOULD GO IN EYES WIDE OPEN WITH
THIS BEING THE NEW SYSTEM, AND I
THINK RIGHT NOW, PEOPLE, I
SUPPOSE YOU COULD. YOU COULD.
THE TRUTH IS, I DON'T THINK MOST
PEOPLE KNOW THE WAY THE RULES
WORK. EVEN I EVEN TALKED TO. AS
PART OF PREPARING FOR THIS. I
SPOKE TO FORMER SIGNATORIES OF
THAT MEASURES, AND MOST PEOPLE I
SPOKE TO WERE RELATIVELY UNCLEAR
AS TO WHAT THE RULES WERE, BUT
THAT BEING SAID, UM YOU KNOW
THAT THAT IS ONE OF THE TRADE
OFFS. I GUESS I WOULD ARGUE ON
THE OTHER SIDE THAT, UM YOU KNOW
, PEOPLE CAN MAKE AGREEMENTS
AMONGST THEMSELVES THAT THEY'RE
GOING IN SIGNING A MEASURE UNDER
CERTAIN WITH CERTAIN
UNDERSTANDINGS. AND IN THE END
OF THE DAY, PART OF WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO DO HERE IS TO IS TO
ENCOURAGE LEGISLATIVE SOLUTIONS
RATHER THAN GOING TO THE BALLOT.
UM YOU KNOW THE END OF THE DAY,
THE LEGISLATURE CAN MAKE
AMENDMENTS. IT'S NOT AS
PREDICTABLE IT'S NOT AS COSTLY.
AND REMEMBER, NOTHING PREVENTS
THIS. NOT NOTHING PREVENTS THE
FOLKS FROM SAYING FROM WALKING
AWAY FROM THE DEAL. UM BUT I
SUPPOSE IT WOULD CHANGE THE
DYNAMIC SOMEWHAT IF THERE WAS A
REALLY UNWIELDY COALITION THAT
GOT GOT BEHIND A BALLOT MEASURE.
I GUESS RIGHT NOW IT YOU KNOW,
THE QUESTION IS. SHOULD WE
SHOULD WE CREATE A SYSTEM WHERE
JUST ONE PERSON. CAN BE, UH, CAN
SCUTTLE THE WHOLE DEAL. IF
YOU'VE GOT THE COLD, YOU KNOW, A
STRONG MAJORITY OF THE OF THE
BALLOT SIGNATORIES THAT YOU WANT
TO MOVE FORWARD. AND YOU KNOW,
THAT'S THE THAT'S THE POLICY
QUESTION THAT THE COMMITTEE
FACES TODAY. OKAY THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE IT. MR BENNETT JUST
DID IN IN RESPONSE TO THAT. WHAT
IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO A
SIGNATURE SIGNATORY BETWEEN THE
TIME WHEN THEY SIGN AND WHEN A
GOOD DEAL OF STRUCTURE
ABSOLUTELY RIGHT MODIFICATION.
YOU COULDN'T MAKE A CHANGE, SO
THAT YOU HAVE THEIR
INCAPACITATED THEY CAN'T SIGN
PEOPLE OUT OF THE COUNTRY. THERE
ARE OTHER COUNTRIES, SO I THINK
THIS CERTAINLY IS IN THE SPIRIT
OF THE LAW THAT, UH, LEGISLATURE
FIRST PAST DOING THIS, WHICH IS
WHY I'M MAKING THE MOTION. I
APPRECIATE. YOU KNOW, ALL THESE
THINGS USUALLY TAKE A LITTLE BIT
OF TWEAKING TO CLEAN UP.
APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK
YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS AND
COMMENTS. MR LACKEY, VICE CHAIR.
YEAH, I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT
ALL THESE MEASURES THAT SEEM TO
CHEAPEN THE PROCESS. THAT'S IT'S
ONE OF THE ONLY WAYS TO
COUNTERBALANCE THE SUPERMAJORITY
INFLUENCE THAT EXISTS HERE IN
THE LEGISLATURE. AND SO IT FEELS
LIKE AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU.
MAYBE YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO
SYMPATHIZE BECAUSE A LOT OF
THESE MEASURES ARE IN CONTRAST
TO THE SUPERMAJORITY FEELING,
BUT, UM, IT FEELS LIKE ANYTHING
ANY EFFORT TO CHEAPEN. THE
CRITERIA TO ALLOW DIRECT
DEMOCRACY, TOO. MOVE FORWARD. IS
. IT'S A BAD MOVE WAS A BAD MOVE
. AND SO IT FEELS LIKE IT'S JUST
ANOTHER CHIP AWAY FROM DIRECT
DEMOCRACY. AND SO I WON'T BE
ABLE TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT FEELS LIKE I WOULD
JUST SAY, REMEMBER UM, WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT THE WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT HAVE THAT
HAVE THE GROUP OF PEOPLE.
PROACTIVELY DECIDED TO PUT THE
MEASURE FORWARD. IN THIS CASE.
SO I HEAR YOU AND I KNOW THERE'S
A LOT OF BILLS OUT THERE. I YOU
KNOW, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE
THE KIND OF PERSON THAT JUST
WANTS TO HAVE AS MANY MEASURES
AS POSSIBLE IN THE BALLOT THAT
THEN CERTAINLY. THIS WOULD BE
SOMETHING THAT REFLECTION OF
WHAT YOU SAID. OH, YEAH. UM
ANYHOW, I HEAR AND RESPECT YOUR
POSITION. I WILL SAY THAT, UM.
YOU KNOW THAT ONE? WHAT WOULD
THE GROUP WE'RE TALKING ABOUT?
HERE ARE THE GROUP OF PROPONENTS
. THEY'RE OFTENTIMES VERY
STRONGLY FEELING PEOPLE WHO
DECIDED TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY
AND TIME TO PUT A MEASURE ON THE
BALLOT. AND THERE ARE ULTIMATELY
THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE
A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER WHETHER
THE LEGISLATIVE RESPONSE IS
ADEQUATE ENOUGH TO MERIT.
THEY'RE PULLING THEIR MEASURE OR
NOT. YOU'VE SPARKED A LIVELY
DEBATE, MR SKINNER. YES THANK
YOU SO MUCH SENATOR FOR BRINGING
THIS MEASURE FORWARD. UM WHEN I
THINK ABOUT PROPOSITIONS GOING
ON THE BALLOT, THEY'RE ALWAYS SO
CONFUSING TO MOST OF OUR
CONSTITUENTS SO WHENEVER THE
PROPONENT CAN COME IN AND TALK
WITH THE LETTER, I REALLY RATHER
SEE LEGISLATION GO THROUGH THE
LEGISLATURE. UM SO WHEN YOU SEE
, UM THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UM
PUTTING THIS ON THE BATTLE THAT
THEY CAN COME TO AGREEMENT AND
IF JUST HALF OF THEM, THE
MAJORITY OF THEM ARE THERE TO
PULL IT OFF. IT IS A PLUS. PLUS
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THIS
STUFF IS SO COMPLICATED. IT GOES
ON THE BALLOT. IF IT OUR
CONSTITUENTS DON'T UNDERSTAND
IT, AND THEN WE PASSED SOMETHING
THAT'S REALLY NOT GOOD FOR
CALIFORNIA. SO I THANK YOU FOR
BRINGING THIS FORWARD. AND
OFTENTIMES THERE, THERE ARE
THINGS THAT THE PROPONENTS
DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THAT THEY CAN
GET FIXED IN THE LEGISLATION.
ONE THING THAT TO JUST KEEP IN
MIND HERE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF
INITIATIVES HAVE JUST ONE OR TWO
SIGNATORIES. SO JUST TO GIVE YOU
A SENSE ONLY EIGHT INITIATIVES
2.4% IN THE LAST DECADE. HAD
THREE OR MORE LEAD PROPONENT, SO
WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A VERY
TINY PERCENTAGE. THE VAST
MAJORITY OF TALKING ABOUT ONE OR
TWO AND BY DEFINITION. IF IT'S
TOO, THEN BOTH HAVE TO AGREE. SO
WE'RE YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT A SMALL GROUP HERE. I
THINK THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY
POWERFUL CLARIFYING POINT. UM
ALSO THE WHOLE POINT OF THE
INITIATIVE PROCESS IS TO GET THE
LEGISLATOR TO BE RESPONSIVE TO
THINGS THAT, UM PEOPLE FEEL LIKE
IT OTHERWISE HADN'T BEEN
SUPERMAJORITY OR OTHERWISE LIKE
LEGALIZING CANNABIS, REPEALING
PROP 209 SPLIT ROLE, WHOLE BUNCH
OF THINGS. THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE
ORGANIZED TO INCENTIVIZE US TO
ACT. SO BIÂU OFFERING A SOLUTION
THAT REQUIRES US TO ACT AND THE
PEOPLE THEN TO BE SATISFIED AND
SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY IN THE
LONG RUN. I THINK IT'S SMART. I
THINK IT'S THOUGHTFUL. IT'S GOOD
LEGISLATION. IT HAS A DO PASS.
REVCO MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CLOSE? APPRECIATE THE
ROBUST CONVERSATION? I RESPECT
THE POSITION OF THE VICE CHAIR,
AND, UM BUT I DO THINK THAT THE
YOU KNOW THE BALANCE OF EVENT.
TRIST HERE REALLY DO UM, YOU
KNOW, CERTAINLY LEAD ME TO
STRONGLY VIEW, YOU KNOW, ASK YOU
FOR YOUR LIFEBOAT. THESE ARE 100
YEAR OLD PROCESSES THEY NEED
TWEET RESPECTFULLY ASKED. FOR
YOU TO CALL THE ROLL. THE
MOTIONS DO PASS AS AMENDED AND
BE REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATIONS. BRIAN BRIAN. I
LACKEY LUCKY NO BENNETT BENNETT
I SALI SALI NÓ MAKIN ER MAKIN ER
I LO LO I PELLERIN BLANCA RUBIO
RUBIO. AYE. THANK YOU. MEMBERS
APPRECIATE THANK YOU. 5 TO 2.
SHOULD WE DO ADD ONS NOW
BRILLIANT. WAIT FOR WE CAN.
COLORING. SO YEAH, PEOPLE OUT ON
THE CONSENT. ADDING ONTO THE
CONSENT CALENDAR. BENNETT
BENNETT, AYE, PELLERIN. BLANCA
RUBIO. BLANCA RUBIO? AYE.
WELCOME, MISS PELLERIN. MADAM
SECRETARY, CAN WE CALL THE ROLL?
ADDING ON TO CONSENT, MISS
PELLERIN. HI, MISS PELLERIN?
AYE. ON SENATE BILL 2 97 BY
SENATOR ALLEN THE MOTION WAS Dð
PASSES A MINUTE AND B. WE
REFERRED TO THE COMMITTEE ON
APPROPRIATIONS. MISS PELLERIN
BALLERINAS. I THANK YOU. THIS
CONCLUDES TODAY'S ELECTIONS
COMMITTEE HEARING. YOU GONNA USE
THAT ON ME, AREN'T YOU?