Six Measures Qualify for November Ballot

Voters in the Golden State will get to buoy or sink six ballot measures this November, including a proposal to reform criminal sentencing and a plan backed by Da Gov for a rainy-day fund.

Thursday was the cutoff for measures to qualify for the ballot. (That deadline, however, is flexible for legislators who have waived rules in the past to place measures on the ballot later in the summer.)

Three initiatives and one referendum were placed on the ballot after proponents collected enough signatures to qualify:

>An initiative to give the state insurance commissioner more authority to regulate health insurance rates. The measure is backed by insurance commissioner Dave Jones, who is running for re-election, and consumer groups; a coalition of insurance groups. Medical providers oppose it.

>An initiative to raise the cap on certain medical malpractice damages and require drug testing for doctors. And make no mistake; this is going to be a high dollar cage match with trial attorneys and consumer groups battling doctors, medical providers and some major labor unions.

>An initiative backed by San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón and former San Diego Police Chief William Landsdowne to reform certain criminal sentences. This measure, the final one to be certified for the November ballot, would reduce some crimes (such as petty theft, forging checks and certain drug possession offenses) from a felony to a misdemeanor.

>A referendum to overturn two tribal-state gaming compacts with the North Fork Rancheria Band of Mono Indians and the Wiyot Tribe. (Who’d they P.O.? Just askin’)

And the Legislature has placed two measures on the ballot so far. One is a rainy-day fund plan, a product of bipartisan negotiations this spring.

There's also an $11.1-billion water bond plan, which was originally written in 2009. That bond has been criticized as being too bloated with earmarks. Legislators have delayed putting it on the ballot twice, and are now seeking to draft a new water bond plan to replace it. The solons are also considering adding a school construction bond to the ballot.

And, not unsurprisingly, there is a Constitutional amendment to suspend lawmakers for misconduct without pay. This arose after a string of ethics woes, indictments and arrests prompted the state Senate to suspend three senators. Because the state Constitution does not allow withholding pay from a suspended lawmaker, the senators continue to draw a paycheck. (Yes, you read that correctly.)