I don’t want to alarm you, but, as of this writing, there are thirty-five ballot initiatives that are actively seeking your signature and seven more in the Attorney General’s office.
When Governor Hiram Johnson got our California initiative, referendum, and recall process started more than a century ago, it may have seemed like a very democratic way for grass roots voters to have their say, but the sad and sorry fact today is that it takes a whole lot of money to qualify a measure for the ballot. Wouldn’t you like to know where that money is coming from before you sign? [text of SB47].
Thanks to the work of the California Clean Money Campaign, SB47-Petition DISCLOSE Act is in effect! California State law now requires signature gatherers for ballot petitions to show voters the three largest funders paying for their signature-gathering before they sign. The real funders. SB47 incorporates the California DISCLOSE Act’s “follow-the-money” rules to identify the true source of funds even if they pass through multiple front groups.
If you don’t see the disclosure notice printed on the petition, ask the gatherer. It’s the law!
The disclosure will look something like this:
