On June 23, California newspapers reported that Assemblymember Juan Arambula has recently changed his registration from “Democratic” to “Independent.” It is not known exactly when he did this. He cannot run for re-election in 2010 because of term limits. He represents part of Fresno and Tulare Counties. See this story.

California’s last independent state legislator who had been elected as an independent had been San Francisco Senator Quentin Kopp, who had been elected to the Senate as an independent in 1986, 1990 and 1994. Also, Audie Bock (elected to the California legislature as a Green in 1999) had, while in office, re-registered as an independent, although when she ran for re-election as an independent in 2000, she was defeated. Thanks to Bob Richard for this news.

On June 22, the Florida Secretary of State announced that the “Florida Hometown Democracy” Initiative has qualified for the 2010 ballot. It is the only initiative that has qualified for that ballot so far. It needed 676,811 valid signatures, and it had 698,562 valid. The group took 4 years to collect its signatures. The initiative only qualified because a week earlier, the Florida Supreme Court invalidated a 2007 law that lets initiative petition signers remove their names. Opponents of the initiative had been out in public, circulating the paperwork for signers to delete their names.

The initiative would require city and counties to hold a referendum before changing their comprehensive land use plans. Opponents of the initiative will now circulate their own counter initiative, which would also permit such local votes, but only after a group upset by the change had completed a petition within that city or county signed by 10% of the registered voters. Initiatives need 60% approval to pass in Florida.

On June 22, the Arizona Senate passed two election law bills. SCR1025 asks the voters in 2010 if they wish to repeal the state’s public funding program for candidates for state office. It passed 17-12. SB 1091 is the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill. It passed 18-11. It includes many unrelated provisions, including moving the independent presidential petition deadline from June to September, and letting out-of-state circulators work on independent presidential petitions, but no other kinds of petitions.