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AP17:085

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2017
Contact:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575

Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation

Division of California into Three States. 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: 

DIVISION OF CALIFORNIA INTO THREE STATES. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Divides California into three states subject to approval by Congress. Assigns each county to a new state. Upon passage, directs Governor to request that Congress grant approval within twelve months. If Congress approves, directs Legislature to divide California’s assets and liabilities between the new states. Provides that, if Legislature fails to act within twelve months of Congressional approval, debts shall be distributed among new states based on population relative to California population as a whole, and assets within boundaries of each new state shall become the assets of that new state. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Assuming this measure is approved by voters and the federal government and allowed by the courts, all tax collections and spending by the existing State of California would end. California’s existing state assets and liabilities would be divided among three new states. These states would make their own decisions about state and local taxes and spending. (17-0018.) 

The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1814 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 17-0018. 

The proponent of the measure, Timothy Draper, 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 no later than April 23, 2018. The proponent can be reached at (650) 233-9000 or tim@draper.com. 

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