On May 16, two California election law bills passed the Assembly Appropriations Committee.  They are AB 1451, which outlaws paying initiative circulators on a per-signature basis; and AB 681, which requires election officials to send three messages to independent voters in advance of a presidential primary, telling them which parties allow independents to vote in their presidential primaries.  AB 681 was amended to provide that it takes effect as soon as it is signed into law.