On June 8, the California Senate Elections Committee passed AB 481, which requires anyone who circulates an initiative, referendum or recall petition to wear a badge. The badge must either say “Paid Signature Gatherer” or “Volunteer Signature Gatherer.” All Democrats voted “Yes”; all Republicans voted “No.” So far this year, all bills to make it more difficult for initiatives to get on the ballot (in both houses) have received unanimous “Yes” votes from Democrats, whereas all Republicans have voted against these bills.

AB 481 also requires the petition sheet to have printed on it whether the sheet is being circulated by a paid petitioner or a volunteer.

Another badge bill, SB 448 will be heard in the Assembly Elections Committee on Tuesday afternoon, June 21. Also on June 21, the Assembly Elections Committee will hear SB 205, which outlaws paying people on a per-registration card basis to register voters. And on June 21 that committee will hear SB 168, which makes it illegal to pay petition circulators on a per-signature basis “directly or indirectly.” SB 168 relates to initiative, referendum, and recall petitions, but not to petitions to put candidates or parties on a ballot. In California, all candidates for Congress and state office must submit petitions to obtain a place on any ballot. Thus, California Democratic legislators seem intent on imposing restrictions on initiative petitions, but they aren’t imposing the same requirements on the petitions that they must obtain in order to run for re-election.