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Proposed Referendum Enters Circulation

Referendum to Overturn Law Allowing Specified Licensed
Medical Professionals to Perform Early Abortion Procedures

SACRAMENTO - Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced today that the proponent of a proposed referendum may begin collecting signatures for her measure.

The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on referendum petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the referendum may be circulated for signatures. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponent and to county elections officials.

The Attorney General's official title and summary for the measure is as follows:

REFERENDUM TO OVERTURN LAW ALLOWING SPECIFIED LICENSED MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS TO PERFORM EARLY ABORTION PROCEDURES.If signed by the required number of registered voters and timely filed with the Secretary of State, this petition will place on the statewide ballot a challenge to a state law previously approved by the Legislature and the Governor. The law must then be approved by a majority of voters at the next statewide election to go into effect. The law would permit a nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant with a valid license and training to perform specified early abortion procedures. (13-0029.)

The Secretary of State's tracking number for this measure is 1608 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 13-0029.

The proponent for this measure, Laurette Elsberry, must collect signatures of 504,760 registered voters – the number equal to five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2010 gubernatorial election – in order to qualify it for the statewide ballot. The proponent has 90 days from the date the bill is chaptered to request and receive a title and summary from the Attorney General, and circulate petitions for a referendum. AB 154 (Chapter 662, Statutes of 2013) was chaptered on October 9, 2013. The proponent has until January 7, 2014, to submit petition signatures to county election officials.

The referendum proponent can be reached at laurette.elsberry@gmail.com. No phone number was provided.

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