Copyright© 1999 by School Services of California, Inc.

September 3, 1999

By The Way. . .


Majority Vote Initiative Seems Sure to Qualify. The local school bond majority vote initiative "Let's Fix Our Schools," seems sure to qualify for the March 2000 election with somewhere between 1.1 and 1.2 million signatures being submitted. In order to qualify, the initiative needs 670,800 valid signatures.

The only wild card in the final collection has been the high price being paid by those sponsoring the Constitutional amendment to "Fix Proposition 5", the Indian gambling initiative. Proponents of that constitutional amendment are paying $2 per signature and it is squeezing petition managers for other initiatives who pay between 75¢ and $1 per signature.

But despite the challenge, all indications are that the initiative will qualify and be on the March 2000 ballot for consideration by the statewide electorate. State Senator Jack O'Connell campaigned for the initiative throughout the state during the legislative interim and he reports very positive comments from all corners of California.