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Secretary of State Bowen Assigns
Numbers to Ballot Measures Certified
For June Primary, Invites Ballot Arguments

SACRAMENTO - Secretary of State Debra Bowen today announced the proposition numbers for the two measures set to appear on the June 5, 2012, Presidential Primary Election ballot and invited interested Californians to submit arguments to be considered for inclusion in the Secretary's Official Voter Information Guide. The guide, also known as the ballot pamphlet, is mailed to every voting household in California.

The two propositions for the June 5 ballot – with official titles and summaries written by the California Attorney General – are listed below.

Proposition 28

Limits on Legislators' Terms in Office. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. Reduces the total amount of time a person may serve in the state legislature from 14 years to 12 years. Allows a person to serve a total of 12 years either in the Assembly, the Senate, or a combination of both. Applies only to legislators first elected after the measure is passed. Provides that legislators elected before the measure is passed continue to be subject to existing term limits. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: No direct fiscal effect on state or local governments. (09-0048)

Proposition 29

Imposes Additional Tax on Cigarettes for Cancer Research. Initiative Statute. Imposes additional five cent tax on each cigarette distributed ($1.00 per pack), and an equivalent tax increase on other tobacco products, to fund cancer research and other specified purposes. Requires tax revenues be deposited into a special fund to finance research and research facilities focused on detecting, preventing, treating, and curing cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and other tobacco-related diseases, and to finance prevention programs. Creates nine-member committee charged with administering the fund. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Increase in new cigarette tax revenues of about $855 million annually by 2011-12, declining slightly annually thereafter, for various health research and tobacco-related programs. Increase of about $45 million annually to existing health, natural resources, and research programs funded by existing tobacco taxes. Increase in state and local sales taxes of about $32 million annually. (09-0097.)

People may submit arguments for or against any measure. Arguments selected for the Official Voter Information Guide will be on public display between February 21 and March 12. If multiple arguments are submitted for one proposition, state law gives first priority to arguments written by the proponents of an initiative. Subsequent priority for the measures goes to bona fide citizen associations and then to individuals. No more than three signers are allowed to appear with an argument or rebuttal to an argument.

Ballot arguments cannot exceed 500 words and rebuttals to ballot arguments cannot exceed 250 words. All submissions should be typed and double-spaced. Arguments may be hand-delivered to the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 1500 11th Street, 5th Floor, Sacramento, California 95814; faxed to (916) 653-3214; or emailed to VIGarguments@sos.ca.gov. If faxed or emailed, the original copies must be received within 72 hours. The deadline to submit ballot arguments is February 7 by 5:00 p.m. and the deadline to submit rebuttals to the ballot arguments is February 16 by 5:00 p.m.

For more information on ballot measures, candidate filing requirements and election dates, go to www.sos.ca.gov/elections/2012-elections/june-primary.

To view past state voter guides, go to www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/voter-information-guides.htm.

Keep up with the latest California election news and trivia by following @CASOSvote on Twitter.

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