AP16:051
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2016
CONTACT: Sam Mahood
(916) 653-6575
Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Environmental Health. Prohibited Substances and Activities. Vaccination. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the proponent of a new initiative was cleared to begin collecting petition signatures today.
The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponent and to the Secretary of State, and the initiative 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:
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES AND ACTIVITIES. VACCINATION. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Prohibits genetically engineered plants and animals and over 300 listed substances from being introduced or released into the environment. Creates a new state entity to regulate environmental activities, modify or stop projects having pollution and radiation impacts, and test and approve substances before they are introduced into the environment. Prohibits treatment of water with fluoride or chlorine. Eliminates vaccination as a prerequisite for attendance at schools and daycare facilities. Provides criminal and civil liability for violations, with no statute of limitations. Fiscal impact: It is the opinion of the Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance that the measure would result in a substantial net change in state and local finances. (16-0001.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1785 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 16-0001.
The proponent of the measure, Cheriel Jensen, must collect the signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 180 days to circulate petitions for the measure, meaning the signatures must be submitted to county elections officials by September 26, 2016. The proponent can be reached at (408) 379-0463 or cherielj@earthlink.net.
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