On July 2, the California Senate Elections Committee passed two bills that alter the process for getting state initiatives on the ballot. One bill makes it easier to qualify initiatives, and one makes it more difficult.
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly’s AB 1117 passed, despite opposition from the Secretary of State and the association of county election officials. It provides that the Secretary of State’s web page will carry copies of statewide initiative petitions that are currently circulating. The web page will make it possible for anyone to print out a copy of the initiative, so that individual then is free to circulate the petition. The bill, which has already passed the Assembly, now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will hear it on August 12.
Also, Assemblyman Paul Fong’s AB 857 passed. It requires initiative proponents to collect at least 20% of the required signatures from volunteers. This bill has also passed the Assembly, and now goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
I don’t see why AB 1117 would make it easier to qualify a ballot measure.
The sponsor would still be responsible for presenting the completed petitions to county election officials. If somebody downloads a petition, and goes out collecting on their own, they are likely to have a poor result, with duplicates, non-registered voters, etc., invalid signatures.