Via ShutterstockI was recently reminded by a legal colleague about a state appellate court decision a few years ago and the limits on the Legislature’s power to amend a voter initiative. I think the court’s decision is important guidance to keep in mind as the 2023 Legislative Session gets underway.
The state Capitol in Sacramento surrounded by Capitol Park. (Photo: Merge Digital Media LLC, via Shutterstock)Preservationists understand that their appeal court victory this month will only delay a billion-dollar expansion of the state Capitol building, but they hope legislators will use the time-out to consider alternatives that would kill fewer trees, cost less money and keep Capitol Park more or less as generations of Californians have known and enjoyed it.
A worker spreads warning tape at a home being cleansed of lead paint. (Photo: D_Townsend, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The right of citizens to propose laws by ballot initiative is one of California’s great checks and balances. Often viewed as a last resort to express the will of the voters (see: Proposition 13), it can also be incorporated into the legislative process. At the end of June, the Legislature faced nine proposed initiatives that would likely qualify for a vote in November.
Spraying crops with an herbicide to prevent crop losses to pests. (Photo: pfalztv, via Shutterstock)California is deciding whether to add a popular herbicide’s ingredient to the list of officially recognized cancer-causing compounds — a move that has run into a legal road block. At issue is glyphosate, a prime ingredient in the Monsanto Company’s herbicide Roundup.