California Proposition 1F (2009)

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Proposition 1F of 2009 (or Senate Constitutional Amendment 8) was a measure approved by California voters relating to the salaries of state officers. It was an amendment of the Constitution of California prohibiting pay raises for members of the State Legislature, the Governor, and other state officials during deficit years. It was proposed by the legislature and approved in a referendum held as part of the May 19, 2009 special election ballot, in which the California electorate also voted on five other propositions.

California State of the United States of America

California is a state in the Pacific Region of the United States. With 39.6 million residents, California is the most populous U.S. state and the third-largest by area. The state capital is Sacramento. The Greater Los Angeles Area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions, with 18.7 million and 8.8 million residents respectively. Los Angeles is California's most populous city, and the country's second most populous, after New York City. California also has the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County, and its largest county by area, San Bernardino County. The City and County of San Francisco is both the country's second-most densely populated major city after New York City and the fifth-most densely populated county, behind only four of the five New York City boroughs.

A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to the constitution as supplemental additions (codicils), thus changing the frame of government without altering the existing text of the document.

Constitution of California primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California

The Constitution of California is the primary organizing law for the U.S. state of California, describing the duties, powers, structures and functions of the government of California. Following cession of the area from Mexico to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican–American War, California's original constitution was drafted in both English and Spanish by delegates elected on August 1, 1849, to represent all communities home to non-indigenous citizens. The delegates wrote and adopted the constitution at the 1849 Constitutional Convention, held beginning on September 3 in Monterey, and voters approved the new constitution on November 13, 1849. Adoption of the "state" constitution actually preceded California's Admission to the Union on September 9, 1850 by almost ten months.

Contents

Background

In February 2009, the State Legislature narrowly passed the 2008–2009 state budget during a special session, months after it was due. As part of the plan to lower the state's annual deficits, the State Legislature ordered a special election with various budget reform ballot propositions, among them Proposition 1F. [1]

The measure was proposed by the State Legislature as a joint resolution called Senate Constitutional Amendment 8 of the 2009–10 Regular Session (Resolution Chapter 3, Statutes of 2009). It was authored by Senator Abel Maldonado, a Republican from Santa Maria, [2] and passed both houses unanimously. The legislature later voted in an extraordinary session to submit the amendment and five other proposals to a special election held in May. [3] The other propositions were all rejected by voters.

In the United States Congress, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires approval by the Senate and the House and is presented to the president for approval or disapproval. Generally, there is no legal difference between a joint resolution and a bill. Both must be passed, in exactly the same form, by both chambers of Congress, and signed by the President to become a law. Only joint resolutions may be used to propose amendments to the United States Constitution and these do not require the approval of the President. Laws enacted by virtue of a joint resolution are not distinguished from laws enacted by a bill, except that they are designated as resolutions as opposed to acts.

Abel Maldonado 48th Lieutenant Governor of California

Abel O. Maldonado Jr. is an American politician who served as the 48th Lieutenant Governor of California from April 27, 2010 to January 10, 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.

The California Republican Party (CAGOP) is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party is based in Sacramento, and is led by Chairwoman Jessica Patterson.

Provisions

The measure amended Article III, Section 8 of the California constitution, which concerns the Citizens Compensation Commission. The amendment prohibits the commission, which sets salary levels for the governor, other top state officials, and members of the California State Legislature, from increasing those salaries if the state General Fund is expected to end the year with a deficit. Specifically, if the state's Director of Finance reports that there will be a negative balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties at the end of that fiscal year. While there would be a financial benefit to the state, such savings would be minimal. [4] The introduction to the amendment states that

California Department of Finance

The California Department of Finance is a state cabinet-level agency within the government of California. The Department of Finance is responsible for preparing, explaining, and administering the state’s annual financial plan, which the Governor of California is required under the California Constitution to present by January 10 of each year to the general public. The Department of Finance's other duties include analyzing the budgets of proposed laws in the California State Legislature, creating and monitoring current and future economic forecasts of the state, estimating population demographics and enrollment projections, and maintaining the state's accounting and financial reporting systems.

Existing provisions of the California Constitution direct the California Citizens Compensation Commission to establish and adjust the salary and benefits for Members of the Legislature and certain other state officers. This measure would prohibit the commission from adopting in a fiscal year a resolution that would increase the salary of Members of the Legislature or other state officers if the Director of Finance determines that there will be a negative balance in the Special Fund for Economic Uncertainties at the end of that fiscal year. [5]

Results

Electoral results by county 2009 CA special - 1F.svg
Electoral results by county
Proposition 1F [6]
Choice Votes %
Yes check.svg Yes3,565,41974.23
No 1,237,694 25.77
Valid votes 4,803,113 98.59
Invalid or blank votes 68,832 1.41
Total votes4,871,945100.00
Registered voters and turnout 17,153,012 28.40

See also

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