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AP19:097
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2019
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Proposed Initiative Enters Circulation
Requires Enactment Of Measures To Reduce The Use Of Nonorganic Fungicides, Herbicides, Insecticides, And Fumigants. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO, CA - Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that 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:
REQUIRES ENACTMENT OF MEASURES TO REDUCE THE USE OF NONORGANIC FUNGICIDES, HERBICIDES, INSECTICIDES, AND FUMIGANTS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Requires Governor and Legislature to enact measures to: (1) reduce by 3% annually the use of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and fumigants that do not conform with federal organic standards (with reduction applicable to agricultural, forestry, residential, and governmental uses); and (2) levy 0.1% assessment on non-conforming products to fund research into reducing their use. Requires research funds be distributed equally between governmental and non-governmental entities, with no more than 0.1% of total allocated to a single project. Requires annual publication of progress reports. 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. (19-0020A1.)
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1878 and the Attorney General's tracking number is 19-0020.
The proponent of the measure, Robert Henry Cannard, must collect signatures of 623,212 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for Governor in the November 2018 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 June 8, 2020. The proponent can be reached at info@greenstringfarm.com and (707) 328-8084. The address for the proponent is 1998 Sobre Vista Road, Sonoma, CA 95476.
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