Court of Appeal Decision in Yumori-Kaku et al. v. City of Santa Clara -
The City of Santa Clara’s method of electing city council members at-large — in which each council member is elected by all City voters — violated the...more
What Public Agencies Must Know Ahead of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Data Release -
After each decennial U.S. census, local public agencies with officers elected by or from geographical districts, divisions or wards must...more
New Order Also Gives Guidance on Three Upcoming Special Elections -
Some guidelines on elections in California during the COVID-19 pandemic were included in a recent Executive Order from Gov. Gavin Newsom. ...more
Part 1: California Laws Impacting Public Agencies for 2020 -
How do the laws passed last year by California lawmakers impact how public agencies do business in the new year? In this annual Legal Alert series, Best Best &...more
1/8/2020
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Citizen Petitions ,
Compassionate Use Act ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Donations ,
Educational Institutions ,
Farms ,
Federal Elections ,
Firearms ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Medical Foods ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mobile Device Management ,
Mobile Devices ,
New Legislation ,
Place of Origin ,
Polling Place ,
Project Labor Agreements ,
Public Agencies ,
Public Health ,
Public Safety ,
Redistricting ,
Referendums ,
Smartphones ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections ,
Unions
There’s a fine line public agencies, officials and employees walk between legally disseminating information and illegally advocating for or against a ballot measure or candidate.
Originally published in PublicCEO - October...more
10/16/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
General Elections ,
Municipalities ,
Political Association ,
Political Campaigns ,
Public Agencies ,
Public Employees ,
Public Funds ,
Public Officials ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections
Last week, the California Court of Appeal clarified what happens to a general tax measure when it is placed on the same ballot as a related advisory measure that asks how revenues from the general tax measure should be spent....more
8/20/2018
/ Ballot Measures ,
Dispensaries ,
General Tax ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Municipalities ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Revenue Procedures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Revenues
Two changes were made to the California Political Reform Act when Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB 45 last month. The first is a technical amendment that codifies the FPPC regulations directly into the Act. More importantly,...more
It is an issue that has been with us since the earliest days of politics: The wealthy tend to have disproportionate influence over our political leaders in contrast to the poor and middle class. In the immortal words of the...more
9/30/2016
/ Ballot Measures ,
Campaign Contributions ,
Campaign Finance Reform ,
Citizens United v Federal Election Commission ,
Compelling Governmental Interest ,
Constitutional Amendment ,
Corporate Contributions ,
Free Speech ,
Pay-To-Play ,
Political Corruption ,
Presidential Elections ,
State and Local Government ,
Strict Scrutiny Standard ,
SuperPACs ,
Unions
Nationwide, states are seeing an uptick in voter participation. California’s election officials are now preparing for a turnout surge as the state’s June 7 presidential primary nears.
Over the last three months, more...more
4/26/2016
/ Ballot Measures ,
Governor Brown ,
Local Elections ,
Political Candidates ,
Presidential Elections ,
Primary Elections ,
Public Funds ,
Referendum Votes ,
State and Local Government ,
State Elections ,
Voter Registration ,
Voting Rights
The California Supreme Court recently ruled that local tax refund claims may be pursued as class actions, even where a city has an existing ordinance prohibiting such claims. The ruling is broad enough to expose local...more