State's Failure To Pay Local Mandates Violates Prop. 4

The San Diego Superior Court has held that the State's failure to adequately reimburse school boards for dozens of state mandates violates Proposition 4, an initiative constitutional amendment adopted in 1979 that, among other things, requires the State to pay local government when it requires them to implement State policies. The Legislature apparently acknowledged the mandate (according to this story in the Sacramento Bee (here)), but only paid $1,000 per year to fund it. That wasn't enough, said the San Diego Superior Court.

New Poll Finds Proposition 8 Trailing And Slim Margins of Support for Propositions 4 and 11

A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California (here) finds Proposition 8 (banning same-sex marriage) losing and slim majorities in favor of Propositions 4 (requiring parental consent for teenage abortions) and Proposition 11 (which would turn over legislative redistricting to a commission). The poll also shows that a majority of Californian favor reform of the budget process, which 49% supporting decreasing the two-thirds vote requirement to 55% and 60% supporting limits on state spending.

Proposition 4

The Los Angeles Times has an article yesterday (available here) on Proposition 4, the initiative constitutional amendment that would require parental consent for teenage abortions.