There’s too much to summarize here. Good luck to California voters in June and November 2010:

Get Me Rewrite! Does California need a new constitution? – coauthored by Robert Stern (head of the Center for Governmental Studies and one of tomorrow’s panelists) – in California Lawyer, November 2009.

Nonpartisan California Forward Action Fund Reform Initiatives Built on Lessons Learned from Other States – Yahoo Finance, November 3, 2009.

Do Californians Want Another Car Tax? – California Beaches Blog, November 4, 2009 warns of a possible $18 per vehicle tax initiative to support state parks.

Public pension reform initiatives are filed for 2010 ballot – Orange County Register, November 6, 2009. The online news story has links to two versions of the initiatives.

Pension Reform Is On The Way – Friends for Fullerton’s Future, November 7, 2009, lauds the pension reform initiatives, and concludes “Democrat Bill Lockyer has admitted that the state will go bankrupt without serious changes to the pension system”.

This Hot Air link to a Bill Lockyer address shows him telling California legislators they are to blame for the budget and pension mess because they are beholden to union interests.

Lobbyists sue to block campaign-finance ballot measure – Sacramento Bee, November 7, 2009. A novel idea: have lobbying firms taxed to support state political campaigns! Lobbyists are suing to have it removed from the ballot. The initiative’s goal is to cut the link between the California Secretary of State, lobbyists, and election financing.

Governor says state can handle debt service on $11.1B water bond – Fresno Bee Opinion Talk, November 6, 2009 – says Governor Schwarzenegger is confident voters will approve this November 2010 initiative.

Initiatives target the initiative process – Monterey County Herald, November 7, 2009 – mentions the organizations California Forward and Repair California and a local League of Women Voters’ forum on 2010 state reform ballot initiatives.

Among the heavyweight proposals, with corresponding heavyweight sponsors:

amending the California constitution by initiative

convening a constitutional convention

changing the way the Secretary of State is elected and runs elections

reducing the majority for budget approvals from 2/3s to 51%

adjusting term limits

allowing a “split roll” to put commercial properties outside Prop 13 protection

Common Cause has not endorsed any of the initiatives. Feng said their scope, directed at political processes in the state, also relates to recently passed Prop 11’s redistricting commission. Applications for that citizen commission will be accepted starting December 15.

Feng’s comments followed background presentations from league members. The first was statistical, and according to my notes, California gets the constitutional Olympic bronze, with a constitution 8 times longer than that of the U.S.; only Alabama’s and India’s are longer!

The second presentation was on Repair California and California Forward, the two major sponsoring organizations of state government reform initiatives, and covered their founders, budget, and policy direction.

League member and attorney Ann Ansman, the final local panelist, insisted that “we have a good constitution” with many protections, and efforts to change it shouldn’t go beyond fixing the infrastructure of governmental processes (tackling legislative gridlock, for example).

Be prepared for an inundation of initiatives to reform California’s constitution, budget process, elections, and governance.