California law includes a ban on public funding for campaigns, either by the state, or by any local government. The ban exists because of an initiative that the voters passed some years ago.

State Senator Tom Umberg (D-Villa Park) has introduced SB 24, which would make repeal of that prohibition possible. If the bill passes, the voters would be asked to vote on repealing the ban. In California, when an initiative passes, the legislature cannot later change that initiative without another vote of the people, unless the original initiative itself authorized the legislature to change it without another popular vote.