On October 11, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed SB 34, which would have made it illegal for initiative petitioners to be paid on a per-signature basis. He had vetoed the same bill last year as well.
He signed AB 30, which permits 17-year-olds to fill out a voter registration form and file it with elections officials. Such “pre-registered” voters could still not vote until they are 18. This bill is considered significant because it enables high school seniors to receive a blank registration form from their school, and to use it, so that the rate at which young people register will likely increase.
Richard,
What’s your take on why the Governor vetoed the bill prohibiting per signature payments to circulators?
Best,
Lori
In election law matters, Governor Schwarzenegger always follows the wishes of the vast majority of Republican legislators, unless it is an issue with a great deal of visibility.
Republicans in the California legislature for several decades have been supportive of the initiative process, whereas Democrats in the California legislature in recent decades have been eager to limit the initiative process. Typically the minority party in a state legislature is friendlier to the initiative process than the majority party is. And Republicans haven’t controlled both branches of the California legislature since 1968-1970.