On May 14, the California Senate passed SB 34 by a vote of 22-14. It makes it illegal to pay an initiative petition circulator on a per-signature basis, either directly or indirectly. This means that circulators could not even be given a bonus for high production. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Elections Committee on July 7.

The bill does not apply to petitions for independent candidates, new parties, recalls, or petitions in lieu of filing fee. A similar law was held unconstitutional in Ohio by the 6th circuit in 2008, and when Ohio asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its appeal, the Court declined.

California Congressmember John Campbell (R-Irvine, 48th district) has become a co-sponsor of HR 1503, the bill to require presidential candidates to submit a copy of their birth certificate when they file with the Federal Election Commission. Campbell is the first non-southern co-sponsor of HR 1503. He has been in Congress since a special election in 2005.

Several California daily newspapers have published commentary about Assemblymember Juan Arambula, who revealed on June 23 that he had changed his registration from “Democratic” to “Independent”. See here and here.