Abortion

Will Big Turnout For Obama Doom Same-Sex Marriage in California?

Joe Mathews — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:03:00 -0400

The fear is that a big turnout among African-American and Latino voters for Obama might give Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban, a crucial boost. Some polling shows broader support for Prop 8 among such voters than in the electorate as a whole. The dynamic also might boost Prop 4, the California initiative to require parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor.

Arnold On the Props

Joe Mathews — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:34:00 -0400

The governor has now taken positions on 10 of the 12 measures on the ballot. (He's neutral on Propositions 6 and 9, both of which have to do with crime). He's no on Prop 8, the same-sex marriage ban, and yes on Prop 4, which would require that a parent or guardian be notified before a minor has an abortion. The full list here via the Sacramento Bee.

Three Props In Trouble

Joe Mathews — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:54:00 -0400

A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows three November ballot initiatives -- Prop 4 (parental notification before a minor has an abortion), Prop 8 (ban on same-sex marriage) and Prop 11 (redistricting reform) -- with less than majority support. Prop 11's supporters issued a statement last night saying the poll was good news, as it showed the measure leading 38 percent to 33 percent. I suppose that depends on one's definition of good news. Few measures with less than majoriting support at this point pass. And while the state's dysfunction may give redistricting reform an opportunity, it's bad news that the measure doesn't have more support -- even after a blow-up of the budget process. And with Californians sour on their state, it's not clear that any political figure or interest group has the credibility to convince undecided voters to support the measure in the numbers needed for it to pass.

The poll suggests that voters may have more interest in broader reforms, including eliminating the requirement of a two-thirds vote in the legislature to pass a budget. California is one of only three states with such a super-majority rule.

Parental Notification Makes California Ballot

Joe Mathews — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:47:00 -0400

An initiative requiring parents to be notified at least 48 hours before their minor daughter receives an abortion has qualified for the November ballot in California.

Monday Round Up: The Right Leaves Arnold

Joe Mathews — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:50:00 -0400

REPUBLICANS GO AFTER GOVERNOR: This story from the Redding paper is worth a read for those who follow California politics. Republican politicians in the far north of the state sharply criticized Schwarzenegger's handling of the budget, during a public meeting late last week and: Sam Aanestad, a state senator, sounds particularly angry. He says that Schwarzenegger is sending mixed signals (though that's hardly a new charge, and accurate given the incredible diversity of his administration and his management methods, which encourage internal arguments). But he goes even further by saying that Schwarzenegger does not have the state's best interests at heart. "He's much more interested in the governor's future than in Californians'. He's got two more years. He can slide through and become a senator," Aanestad said.

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS: My post Friday on Gov. Schwarzenegger's personal spending on initiatives should have said that his latest donations to the redistricting initiative come from his political committee, not his own pocket. As the Sacramento Bee correctly points out today.

IT'S OVER: While running for governor in the 2003 recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger fought hard for the endorsements of anti-tax conservatives, especially those at the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assn. Longtime Howard Jarvis official Jon Coupal sees Schwarzenegger's opposition to his eminent domain initiative, Prop. 98, as a final straw. Their relationship is over.

CHRONICLE ON DENHAM RECALL: The paper reports that there's not much grass roots support for recalling the Republican state senator.

SKELTON ON REDISTRICTING: The LA Times columnist weighs in and sounds supportive of the redistricting initiative and a possible counter-measure that could be put on by the legislature.

COLORADO DRUGS: This story frm the CBS affiliate in Denver is getting a ton of attention, because of claims from a DEA agent that Denver's law making legal small amounts of mairjuana -- and a statewide initiative to legalize marijuna for medicinal purposes -- have made Colorado a hotbed of organized crime.

SOUTH DAKOTA AND ABORTION: Another anti-aboriton initiatives makes the ballot in South Dakota. This has more exceptions -- rape, incest, life and health of the mother -- than the initiative that failed in 2006.