Delay of AB 195 ballot label requirements not heard by Legislature
Published: July 11, 2018
Prior to adjourning for its monthlong summer recess on July 5, the Legislature did not take up
Senate Bill 863, a bill that would have provided a temporary two-year exemption for local bond measures from the ballot labeling requirements of
Assembly Bill 195, which was signed into law last year.
As a result, local bond measures in consideration for the November general election ballot will be subject to the requirements of AB 195.
The Legislature does not reconvene until August 6, so there may not be sufficient time for SB 863 to be heard, sent to the Governor and signed in order for the delay to apply to measures being placed on the November ballot.
Next steps for CSBA members:
CSBA members considering local bond elections in November are advised to proceed cautiously, knowing their local communities and data. Several governing boards have adopted two versions of resolutions calling for a November bond election; one that complies with current law and another should current law be delayed; the correct version will then be submitted to elections officials depending on whether SB 863 or another bill is signed in time.
It is important to note that local bonds which do include the AB 195 language have, in certain cases, been shown to sometimes poll well, yet perform poorly.
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) has surmised that there is a significant negative impact of 10-plus percentage points on support for local bond measures when AB 195 language is used.
Click here for further background information on AB 195 and case studies and data from FM3.