Mayoral elections:
153-484: Yes No Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Proposition 8 , known informally as Prop 8 , was a California ballot proposition and a state constitutional amendment intended to ban same-sex marriage; it passed in the November 2008 California state elections and was later overturned in court. The proposition
306-576: A constitutional right to marry under the California Constitution. That same day, proponents of Prop. 8 filed an emergency appeal with the state appeals court . The Court of Appeal denied their petition later that day and supporters did not seek a review by the Supreme Court of California . The deadline for court action on the wording of ballot summaries and arguments in the voter pamphlet was August 11, 2008. While turning down
459-757: A grassroots campaign to, in his own words, "take back America from the confederacy of corruption , careerism , and campaign consulting in Washington". In his stump speech , first used while announcing his candidacy on the steps of Independence Hall in Philadelphia , Brown said he would accept campaign contributions from individuals only and that he would not accept more than $ 100. Continuing with his populist reform theme, he assailed what he dubbed "the bipartisan Incumbent Party in Washington" and called for term limits for members of Congress . Citing various recent scandals on Capitol Hill , particularly
612-585: A toll-free telephone number . During the campaign, Brown's repetition of this number and moralistic language led some to call him a "political televangelist " with an "anti-politics gospel". Despite poor showings in the Iowa caucus (1.6%) and the New Hampshire primary (8%), Brown won narrow victories in Maine , Colorado , Nevada , and Vermont , but he continued to be considered a small threat for much of
765-572: A " strong mayor " structure, where the mayor would act as chief executive over the nonpolitical and thus the various city departments, and break tie votes on the Oakland City Council. In November 1998, Oakland's electorate voted by a landslide margin of 3 to 1 in support of Measure X, which would shift the city government to the strong mayor model for a period of six years. A referendum permanently extending Measure X later passed in 2004, after failing to pass in 2002, thus making permanent
918-546: A "direct democracy system specifically designed to be inflexible" might be infeasible to continue as a way to make important California public policy decisions. Issues have also been raised regarding the narrowing of democratic access imposed by the high cost of conducting initiatives and referendums, and by the challenges raised by attempting comprehensive governance in the face of individual, non-comprehensive (and sometimes at least partially contrary) initiatives. Generally, because of California's size and population, proponents of
1071-454: A "first step in bringing us toward a solar-powered space satellite to provide solar energy for this planet"; and, in the wake of the 1979 Three Mile Island accident , opposition to nuclear power . On the subject of the 1979 energy crisis , Brown decried the " Faustian bargain " that he claimed Carter had entered into with the oil industry , and declared that he would greatly increase federal funding of research into solar power . He endorsed
1224-664: A German immigrant, settled in California in 1852 during the California Gold Rush . Brown was a member of the California Cadet Corps at St. Ignatius High School , where he graduated in 1955. In 1955, Brown entered Santa Clara University for a year and left to attend Sacred Heart Novitiate , a Jesuit novice house in Los Gatos , intent on becoming a Catholic priest . Brown resided at
1377-421: A ballot initiative or referendum need significant amounts of money and resources to first gather the required number of petition signatures, and then campaign across the state for the effort's passage. The wealthy and large special interest groups can afford to do so (or to sponsor the opposition campaigns), a process that can be cost-prohibitive to most other organizations and individual citizens. With regard to
1530-549: A case, "unless you want as much of a future in this state as Jerry Brown". The assistant DA responds, "Who's Jerry Brown?" In Oakland, Brown became involved as an activist in local political matters, including bay-front development and campaign finance reform. In 1996, Brown unsuccessfully urged Oakland mayor Elihu Harris to appoint him to a seat on the Oakland Port Commission. After Oakland mayor Elihu Harris decided against seeking reelection, Brown ran in
1683-414: A combined $ 106 million on the campaign. This was not the most expensive California ballot proposition that year, however; the 2008 campaigns for and against Propositions 94, 95, 96, and 97 , dealing with the expansion of Native American gambling , surpassed Prop 8, with combined expenditures of $ 172 million. By election day, volunteers on both sides spent thousands of hours getting their messages across to
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#17327766912541836-481: A disfavored class only, with no rational basis . The official proponents' justifications for the measure were analyzed in over fifty pages covering eighty findings of fact . The state government supported the ruling and refused to defend the law. The ruling was stayed pending appeal by the proponents of the initiative. On February 7, 2012, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals , in a 2–1 decision, reached
1989-476: A full check. The cut-off time to go through this entire process, have all the signatures verified and get on a particular ballot is 131 days before that election. An initiative that qualifies by this deadline is first classified by the Secretary of State as "eligible" for the upcoming statewide ballot; those that qualify after this deadline are "eligible" for the following statewide ballot. Proponents still have
2142-599: A letter requesting similar donations to ProtectMarriage.com. The California Fair Political Practices Commission fined the LDS Church in 2010 for failing to follow campaign disclosure policies during the last two weeks leading up to the election, which amounted to $ 37,000 in non-monetary contributions. They were fined $ 5,538. Both proponents and opponents of Proposition 8 made significant use of online tactics for campaigning. For example, over 800 videos were posted on YouTube, most consisting of original content and most taking
2295-578: A long time ago." Brown sponsored nearly two dozen crime initiatives to reduce the crime rate, although crime decreased by 13 percent overall, the city still suffered a "57 percent spike in homicides his final year in office, to 148 overall". Brown's largely successful first term as mayor of Oakland was documented in a one-hour KQED documentary, "The Celebrity and the City" (2001) that evaluated his record in dealing with his four stated goals: reducing crime, improving education, attracting 10,000 new residents to
2448-493: A man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." This change restricted the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples, and eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry, thereby overriding portions of the ruling of In re Marriage Cases by "carving out an exception to the preexisting scope of the privacy and due process clauses" of the state constitution. Proposition 8 consisted of two sections. Its full text was: SECTION 1. Title SECTION 2. Article I, Section 7.5
2601-506: A member of the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees (1969–1971). He was elected to serve as the 23rd secretary of state of California from 1971 to 1975. At 36, Brown was elected to his first term as governor in 1974 , making him the youngest California governor in 111 years. In 1978 , he won his second term. During his governorship, Brown ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for
2754-472: A multi-million dollar work-live complex, serving both as his residence and as a workspace. Among other features, it included a broadcast studio and a 400-seat auditorium. Brown launched a national talk radio show from his Oakland complex, which he would continue to produce until October 1997. In 1995, with Brown's political career at a low point, in the motion picture Jade , the fictional governor of California tells an assistant district attorney to drop
2907-906: A pair of antisemitic comments about Jews in general, and New York City's Jews in particular, while running for president in 1984, was still mistrusted by the Jewish community. Jackson also had ties to Louis Farrakhan , infamous for his own antisemitic statements, and to Yasir Arafat , the chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization . Brown's polling numbers suffered. On April 7, he lost narrowly to Bill Clinton in Wisconsin (37%–34%), and dramatically in New York (41%–26%). Brown continued to campaign, but won no further primaries. Despite being overwhelmingly outspent, he won upset victories in seven states and his "votes won to
3060-707: A personal residence, and in the Lakeside Apartments District near Lake Merritt . The 10K plan has touched the historic Old Oakland district, the Chinatown district, the Uptown district, and Downtown . Brown surpassed the stated goal of attracting 10,000 residents according to city records, and built more affordable housing than previous mayoral administrations. Brown had campaigned on fixing Oakland's schools, but "bureaucratic battles" dampened his efforts. He concedes he never had control of
3213-418: A picture of a hippie - fascist state, satirizing what they considered his mandating of liberal ideas in a fascist manner, commenting on what lyricist Jello Biafra saw as the corrosive nature of power. The imaginary Brown had become President Brown presiding over secret police and gas chambers. Biafra later said in an interview with Nardwuar that he now feels differently about Brown; as it turned out, Brown
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#17327766912543366-455: A politician. I then come back into the world of California and politics, with critical distance from some of my more comfortable assumptions." He also visited Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India , where he ministered to the sick in one of her hospices . He explained, "Politics is a power struggle to get to the top of the heap. Calcutta and Mother Teresa are about working with those who are at
3519-502: A position against the Proposition. A greater proportion of 'Yes on 8' videos were scripted and professionally produced. Many 'No on 8' videos recorded demonstrations in the aftermath of the election. Proponents of the constitutional amendment argued that exclusively heterosexual marriage was "an essential institution of society", that leaving the constitution unchanged would "result in public schools teaching our kids that gay marriage
3672-527: A program of tax credits for those who do not smoke or otherwise damage their health, saying: "Those who abuse their bodies should not abuse the rest of us by taking our tax dollars." Brown also called for expanding the use of acupuncture and midwifery . As Brown's campaign began to attract more members of what some more conservative commentators described as "the fringe", including activists like Jane Fonda , Tom Hayden , and Jesse Jackson , his polling numbers began to suffer. Brown received only 10 percent of
3825-419: A reputation as a fiscal conservative . The American Conservative later noted he was "much more of a fiscal conservative than Governor Reagan ". His fiscal restraint resulted in one of the biggest budget surpluses in state history, roughly $ 5 billion. For his personal life, Brown refused many of the privileges and perks of the office, forgoing the newly constructed 20,000 square-foot governor's residence in
3978-596: A resurgent downtown, and encouraging the arts. Brown was reelected as mayor in 2002 . In 2004, Brown expressed interest to be a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General of California in the 2006 election, and in May 2004, he formally filed to run. He defeated his Democratic primary opponent, Los Angeles city attorney Rocky Delgadillo , 63% to 37%. In the general election, Brown defeated Republican state senator Charles Poochigian 56.3% to 38.2%, one of
4131-456: A self-serving, single-party initiative; the November general election rule for initiatives and optional referendums has nevertheless persisted. The minimum number of signatures for an initiative petition is at least 8 percent (for an amendment to the state constitution) or 5 percent (for a statute) of the number of people who voted in the most recent election for governor. For 2020 and 2022,
4284-473: A statement of support for the proposed constitutional amendment. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich released a video in support. Both characterized the court ruling requiring recognition of same sex marriage as being against the will of the people. A political action committee run by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney , who personally supported the proposition, donated $ 10,000 to
4437-497: A stay ( injunction ) against enforcing Proposition 8 and a stay to determine suspension of his ruling pending appeal. The State of California did not appeal the ruling (with which it had agreed anyway) leaving the initiative proponents and one county to seek an appeal. On appeal, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled the county had no right of appeal, and asked the California Supreme Court to rule whether
4590-413: A super-majority in both houses of the legislature, corporations have been using this process to challenge the power that unions and other progressive activists currently yield in the legislature. California Senate Bill 202, passed in 2011, mandated that initiatives and optional referendums can appear only on the November general election ballot, a statute that was controversial at the time, being seen as
4743-557: A two-thirds supermajority to raise taxes. Max Neiman, a professor at the Institute of Governmental Studies at University of California, Berkeley, credited Brown for "bailing out local government and school districts", but felt it was harmful "because it made it easier for people to believe that Proposition 13 wasn't harmful". In an interview in 2014, Brown indicated that a "war chest" would have helped his campaign for an alternative to Proposition 13. Brown began his first campaign for
2008 California Proposition 8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4896-544: A voter ballot initiative, and voted on at the time of the November 2008 elections . Its wording was precisely the same as Proposition 22, which as an ordinary statute, had been invalidated in 2008, but by re-positioning it as a state constitutional amendment rather than a legislative statute , it was able to circumvent the ruling from In re Marriage Cases . The proposition did not affect domestic partnerships in California, nor (following subsequent legal rulings) did it reverse same-sex marriages that had been performed during
5049-654: Is a proposed statute), in the latter case having the same legal effect as if it had been passed by the state legislature and signed by the governor. Under California law, certain types of bills passed by the State Legislature and signed by the Governor must be submitted to the voters as a referendum at the next statewide election. Legislative bills that require mandatory referendums include state constitutional amendments, bond measures , and amendments to previously approved voter initiatives. More than 50 percent of
5202-409: Is added to the California Constitution, to read: On July 16, 2008, the California Supreme Court denied a petition calling for the removal of Proposition 8 from the November ballot. The petition asserted the proposition should not be on the ballot on the grounds it was a constitutional revision that only the legislature or a constitutional convention could place before voters. Opponents also argued that
5355-486: Is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party , he was elected secretary of state of California in 1970; Brown later served as mayor of Oakland from 1999 to 2007 and attorney general of California from 2007 to 2011. He was both the oldest and sixth-youngest governor of California due to
5508-416: Is okay", and that gay people "do not have the right to redefine marriage for everyone else". The ProtectMarriage.com organization sponsored the initiative that placed Proposition 8 on the ballot and continues to support the measure. The measure also attracted the support of a number of political figures and religious organizations. Republican presidential nominee and U.S. Senator John McCain released
5661-471: Is the same as opposite-sex marriage. The court said the Yes on 8 argument was false because instruction on marriage is not required and parents can withdraw their children. The court said the ballot argument could be preserved by rewording it to state that teachers "may" or "could" be required to tell children there is no difference between same-sex and opposite-sex marriage. The pro- and anti-Prop 8 campaigns spent
5814-750: The Chicago Sun-Times , picked up on the nickname from Brown's girlfriend at the time, Linda Ronstadt , who was quoted in a 1978 Rolling Stone magazine interview humorously calling him "Moonbeam". A year later, Royko expressed his regret for publicizing the nickname, and in 1991 Royko disavowed it entirely, proclaiming Brown to be just as serious as any other politician. Some notable figures were given priority correspondence access to him in either advisory or personal roles. These included United Farm Workers of America founder Cesar Chavez , Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard , labor leader Jack Henning , and Charles Manatt , then-Chairman of
5967-621: The California Fair Political Practices Commission . In 1974, Brown ran in a highly contested Democratic primary for Governor of California against speaker of the California Assembly Bob Moretti , San Francisco mayor Joseph L. Alioto , Representative Jerome R. Waldie , and others. Brown won the primary with the name recognition of his father, Pat Brown, whom many people admired for his progressive administration. In
6120-655: The California Supreme Court and won cases against Standard Oil of California , International Telephone and Telegraph , Gulf Oil , and Mobil for election law violations. In addition, he forced legislators to comply with campaign disclosure laws. Brown also drafted and helped to pass the California Political Reform Act of 1974, Proposition 9, passed by 70% of California's voters in June 1974. Among other provisions, it established
6273-556: The California Supreme Court in Strauss v. Horton in 2009, on the grounds that it "carved out a limited [or 'narrow'] exception to the state equal protection clause"; in his dissent, Justice Carlos R. Moreno wrote that exceptions to the equal protection clause could not be made by any majority since its whole purpose was to protect minorities against the will of a majority. Legal challenges to Proposition 8 were presented by opponents quickly after its approval. Following affirmation by
2008 California Proposition 8 - Misplaced Pages Continue
6426-473: The California Supreme Court in its ruling in Taxpayers to Limit Campaign Spending v. Fair Political Practices Commission : When two or more measures are competing initiatives, either because they are expressly offered as "all-or-nothing" alternatives or because each creates a comprehensive regulatory scheme related to the same subject, section 10(b) mandates that only the provisions of the measure receiving
6579-634: The Constitution of California since 1856), optional referendums, and initiatives. The initiative and optional (or facultative) referendum were introduced as Progressive Era reforms in 1911, by a constitutional amendment called Proposition 7 . According to the Initiative & Referendum Institute at USC , Gov. Hiram Johnson supported the creation of this process to balance the power that corporations, specifically Southern Pacific Railroad , had over legislators. In 2022, with Democrats having
6732-570: The Constitution of California , one or more of the 29 California Codes , or another law in the California Statutes by clarifying current or adding statute(s) or removing current statute(s). Measures can be placed on the ballot either by the California State Legislature or via a petition signed by registered voters. The state legislature can place a state constitutional amendment or a proposed law change on
6885-485: The Democratic primary to Bill Clinton . He then moved to Oakland, where he hosted a talk radio show; Brown soon returned to public life, serving as mayor of Oakland (1999–2007) and attorney general of California (2007–2011). He ran for his third and fourth terms as governor in 2010 and 2014 , his eligibility to do so having stemmed from California's constitutional grandfather clause . On October 7, 2013, he became
7038-544: The Department of Education ". Brown scored surprising wins in Connecticut and Colorado and seemed poised to overtake Clinton. Due to his limited budget, Brown began to use a mixture of alternative media and unusual fundraising techniques. Unable to pay for actual commercials, he frequently used cable television and talk radio interviews as a form of free media to get his message out. To raise funds, he purchased
7191-708: The National Organization for Marriage during their campaign for the proposition. The Roman Catholic Church , as well as a Roman Catholic lay fraternal organization , the Knights of Columbus , firmly supported the measure. The bishops of the California Catholic Conference released a statement supporting the proposition, a position met with mixed reactions among church members, including clergy. George Hugh Niederauer as Archbishop of San Francisco campaigned in 2008 in favor of
7344-639: The Peripheral Canal project to transport water from near Sacramento around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into the Central Valley Project and export it to southern California. It was submitted to the voters for approval as a ballot proposition in 1982, but was turned down. In 1981, Brown, who had established a reputation as a strong environmentalist, was confronted with a serious medfly infestation in
7497-550: The San Francisco Bay Area . The state's agricultural industry advised him, and the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service ( APHIS ), to authorize airborne spraying of the region. Initially, in accordance with his environmental protection stance, he chose to authorize ground-level spraying only. Unfortunately, the infestation spread as the medfly reproductive cycle out-paced
7650-454: The death penalty and vetoed it as governor, which the legislature overrode in 1977. He also appointed judges who opposed capital punishment. One of these appointments, Rose Bird as the chief justice of the California Supreme Court , was voted out in 1987 after a strong campaign financed by business interests upset by her "pro-labor" and "pro-free speech" rulings. The death penalty was only "a trumped-up excuse" to use against her, even though
7803-404: The eighth initiative for the November 4, 2008, general election ballot. Proposition 8 (ballot title: Eliminates Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment ; originally titled the "California Marriage Protection Act") was a California ballot proposition that changed the California Constitution to add a new section 7.5 to Article I, which reads: "Only marriage between
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#17327766912547956-457: The " depletion allowance ", a tax break for the state's oil industry, despite the efforts of lobbyist Joe Shell , a former intraparty rival to Nixon. In 1975, Brown opposed Vietnamese immigration to California, saying that the state had enough poor people. He added, “There is something a little strange about saying ‘Let's bring in 500,000 more people’ when we can't take care of the 1 million (Californians) out of work.” Brown strongly opposed
8109-482: The 2008 California ballot. On November 29, 2007, was the official summary date for California Marriage Protection , also called Limit On Marriage. Constitutional Amendment and numbered 07-0068 by the Attorney General of California and Initiative 1298 by California Secretary of State . In order to qualify for the ballot, a measure needed 694,354 petition signatures, an amount equal to 8 percent of
8262-595: The 28-year gap between his second and third terms. Upon completing his fourth term in office, Brown became the fourth longest-serving governor in U.S. history , serving 16 years and 5 days in office. Born in San Francisco , he is the son of Bernice Layne Brown and Pat Brown , who was the 32nd governor of California (1959–1967). After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley and Yale Law School , he practiced law and began his political career as
8415-525: The Attorney General receives the submission and the filing fee, where any member of the public may submit public comments on the proposed initiative. The Attorney General then prepares the official title and summary after the public review period. The Legislative Analyst's Office has 50 days after receiving the final version of the proposed measure to prepare its report, and the Attorney General has 15 days after receiving these fiscal estimates to send
8568-548: The Bird Court consistently upheld the constitutionality of the death penalty. In 1960, he lobbied his father, then governor, to spare the life of Caryl Chessman and reportedly won a 60-day stay for him. Brown was both in favor of a Balanced Budget Amendment and opposed to Proposition 13 , the latter of which would decrease property taxes and greatly reduce revenue to cities and counties. When Proposition 13 passed in June 1978, he heavily cut state spending, and along with
8721-644: The Brown and Clinton campaigns, and Brown was the first political figure to criticize Bill Clinton over what became known as the Whitewater controversy . After his 1992 presidential bid, Brown had moved from the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco to the Jack London District neighborhood of Oakland, California , an "overwhelmingly minority city of 400,000". He constructed
8874-565: The California State Democratic Party. Mail was routed as VIP to be delivered directly to the governor. However, it is unclear as to exactly how long this may have occurred. In 1978, San Francisco punk band the Dead Kennedys ' first single, " California über alles ", from the album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables , was released; it was performed from the perspective of then-governor Brown painting
9027-567: The California State Water Board. Brown also reorganized the California Arts Council , boosting its funding by 1300 percent and appointing artists to the council, and appointed more women and minorities to office than any other previous California governor. In 1977, he sponsored the "first-ever tax incentive for rooftop solar", among many environmental initiatives. In 1975, Brown obtained the repeal of
9180-498: The California Superior Court turned down the legal challenge, affirming the new title and summary, stating, "the title and summary is not false or misleading because it states that Proposition 8 would 'eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry' in California." The Superior Court based their decision on the previous Marriages Cases ruling in which the California Supreme Court held that same-sex couples have
9333-524: The Democratic nomination for president on March 16, 1976, late in the primary season and over a year after some candidates had started campaigning. Brown declared: "The country is rich, but not so rich as we have been led to believe. The choice to do one thing may preclude another. In short, we are entering an era of limits." Brown's name began appearing on primary ballots in May and he won in Maryland , Nevada , and his home state of California. He missed
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#17327766912549486-620: The Democratic presidential nomination in 1976 and 1980 . He declined to pursue a third term as governor in 1982 , instead making an unsuccessful run for the United States Senate that same year , losing to San Diego mayor and future governor Pete Wilson . After traveling abroad, Brown returned to California and served as the sixth Chairman of the California Democratic Party (1989–1991), attempting to run for U.S. president once more in 1992 but losing
9639-686: The Family and the National Organization for Marriage . Rick Warren , pastor of Saddleback Church , also endorsed the measure. The Grossmont Union High School District in San Diego County , California, publicly voted on a resolution endorsing Proposition 8. The Governing Board voted 4–0 to endorse the amendment of the California State Constitution. The Asian Heritage Coalition held a rally in support of Proposition 8 in downtown San Diego on October 19, 2008. During
9792-494: The General Election on November 5, 1974, Brown was elected Governor of California over California state controller Houston I. Flournoy ; Republicans ascribed the loss to anti-Republican feelings from Watergate , the election being held only ninety days after President Richard Nixon resigned from office. Brown succeeded Republican governor Ronald Reagan , who retired after two terms. After taking office, Brown gained
9945-551: The Legislature, spent much of the $ 5 billion surplus to meet the proposition's requirements and help offset the revenue losses which made cities, counties, and schools more dependent on the state. His actions in response to the proposition earned him praise from Proposition 13 author Howard Jarvis who went as far as to make a television commercial for Brown just before his successful re-election bid in 1978 . The controversial proposition immediately cut tax revenues and required
10098-595: The Louisiana delegate selection convention; thus, Louisiana was the only southern state to not support Southerners Carter or Alabama governor George Wallace . Despite this success, he was unable to stall Carter's momentum, and his rival was nominated on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention . Brown finished third with roughly 300 delegate votes, narrowly behind Congressman Morris Udall and Carter. Brown won re-election in 1978 against Republican state attorney general Evelle J. Younger . Brown appointed
10251-458: The November 2008 election campaign, Porterville 's City Council was the only City Council in California that passed a Resolution in favor of Proposition 8. The San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology publicly supported the proposition by signing an online petition asking for Prop 8. This led to award-winning director, producer and writer Paul Haggis to call on Tommy Davis to denounce
10404-494: The Proposition, and claimed to have been instrumental in forging alliances between Catholics and Mormons to support the measure. His successor, Salvatore Cordileone was regarded as instrumental in devising the initiative. Campaign finance records show he personally gave at least $ 6,000 to back the voter-approved ban and was instrumental in raising $ 1.5 million to put the proposition on the ballot. Subsequently, as archbishop of San Francisco, he has called publicly for an amendment to
10557-504: The Republican Evelle Younger by 1.3 million votes, the largest margin in California history. But Brown had trouble gaining traction in both fundraising and polling for the presidential nomination. This was widely believed to be because of the more prominent candidate Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts . Brown's 1980 platform, which he declared to be the natural result of combining Buckminster Fuller 's visions of
10710-442: The Secretary of State. If a county received less than 500, it is to verify all of them. If the statewide random sample total projects more than 110 percent of the required number of signatures, the initiative automatically qualifies; if less than 95 percent, it fails; and if it is between 95 and 110 percent, the Secretary of State then orders a check of all the signatures. If required, the counties then have another 30 working days to do
10863-538: The Senate seat held by the retiring Alan Cranston . Although Brown consistently led in the polls for both the nomination and the general election, he abandoned the campaign, deciding instead to run for the presidency for the third time. When Brown announced his intention to run for president against President George H. W. Bush , many in the media and his own party dismissed his campaign as having little chance of gaining significant support. Ignoring them, Brown embarked on
11016-519: The State Legislature felt that it needed to be increased to discourage people from proposing frivolous or improper measures for the ballot. Before initiative proponents may gather signatures, the Attorney General prepares an official title and summary for the proposed law, and the California Legislative Analyst's Office submits a report on its estimated fiscal effects. There is a 30-day public review period that begins after
11169-543: The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and ruled that the Ninth Circuit had erred in allowing the previous appeal, since in line with Article III of the Constitution and many prior cases unanimous on the point, being an initiative proponents is not enough by itself to have federal court standing or appeal a ruling in federal court. This left the original federal district court ruling against Proposition 8 as
11322-531: The US Constitution as "the only remedy in law against judicial activism" following the number of state same-sex marriage bans struck down by federal judges. He also attended and addressed the audience at the "March for Marriage", a rally opposing marriage for same-sex couples, in Washington, D.C., in June 2014. In California's 2008 election the Knights of Columbus attracted media attention when they donated more than $ 1.4 million to Proposition 8. The Order
11475-654: The area. Brown continued his predecessor Elihu Harris's public policy of supporting downtown housing development in the area defined as the Central Business District in Oakland's 1998 General Plan. Since Brown worked toward the stated goal of bringing an additional 10,000 residents to Downtown Oakland , his plan was known as the " 10k Plan ". It has resulted in redevelopment projects in the Jack London District , where Brown himself had earlier purchased and later sold an industrial warehouse which he used as
11628-524: The ballot as a referendum to be approved by voters. Under the state constitution, certain proposed changes to state laws may require mandatory referendums, and must be approved by voters before they can take effect. A measure placed on the ballot via petition can either be a vote to veto a law that has been adopted by the legislature (an optional referendum or "people's veto") or a new proposed law (initiative). There are three forms of direct democracy in California state elections: mandatory referendums (part of
11781-522: The ballot in any given year. Starting with the November 1982 ballot, the proposition numbers were not re-used but continued to increment every election, eventually resulting in proposition numbers exceeding 200 by the 1996 election. For the November 1998 ballot, the count was reset back to one. It is now reset every ten years. Under Article II, Section 10(b) of the California Constitution , "If provisions of 2 or more measures approved at
11934-401: The ballot, a referendum petition must be signed by at least five percent of the number of voters in the previous gubernatorial election . The signature checking process by the counties is basically the same as the initiative process. The counties take a random sample of 3 percent or 500 of the signatures, whichever is greater. If the statewide random sample total projects more than 110 percent of
12087-451: The bottom of the heap. And to see them as no different from yourself, and their needs as important as your needs. And you're there to serve them, and doing that you are attaining as great a state of being as you can." Upon his return from abroad in 1988, Brown announced that he would stand as a candidate to become chairman of the California Democratic Party , and won against investment banker Steve Westly . Although Brown greatly expanded
12240-470: The campaign. It was not until shortly after Super Tuesday , when the field had been narrowed to Brown, former senator Paul Tsongas of Massachusetts, and front-runner then-governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas , that Brown began to emerge as a major contender in the eyes of the press. On March 17, Brown received a strong third-place showing in the Illinois and Michigan primaries, and Tsongas dropped out of
12393-417: The challenge to the title and summary, the California Superior Court also found that the Yes on 8 campaign had overstated its ballot argument on the measure's impact on public schools and ordered a minor change in wording. The original arguments included a claim that the Supreme Court's legalization of same-sex marriage requires teachers to tell their students, as young as kindergarten age, that same-sex marriage
12546-504: The city's 1998 mayoral election as an independent "having left the Democratic Party, blasting what he called the 'deeply corrupted' two-party system ". He won with 59% of the vote in a field of ten candidates. Prior to taking office, Brown campaigned to get the approval of the electorate to convert Oakland's "weak mayor" political structure , which structured the mayor as chairman of the city council and official greeter, to
12699-473: The city's shift to the strong mayor model of governance. The political left had hoped for some of the more progressive politics from Brown's earlier governorship, but found Brown, as mayor, to be "more pragmatic than progressive, more interested in downtown redevelopment and economic growth than political ideology". As mayor, he invited the U.S. Marine Corps to use Oakland harbor lands for mock military exercises as part of Operation Urban Warrior . The city
12852-452: The country in spending except the presidential contest. Contributions were much greater than those of previous same-sex marriage initiatives. Between 2004 and 2006, 22 such measures were on ballots around the country, and donations to all of them combined totaled $ 31.4 million, according to OpenSecrets . A ProtectMarriage.com spokeswoman estimated that 36 companies which had previously contributed to Equality California were targeted to receive
13005-421: The court decision did not go into effect until June 26, 2013, following the conclusion of proponents' appeals. Proposition 8 countermanded the 2008 ruling by adding the same provision as in Proposition 22 to the California Constitution , providing that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California", thereby superseding the 2008 ruling. As an amendment, it was ruled constitutional by
13158-556: The cumulative effect of stand-alone propositions passed by voters (see also the preceding section), complaint has been raised that they collectively limit the state legislature in dealing with issues comprehensively, e.g. in the overall shaping of public policy, or the overall management of the state budget. For example, legislators trying to pass a state budget must work around both Proposition 13 's inflexible limits on taxes and Proposition 98 's school-funding guarantee. Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938)
13311-586: The deadline in Oregon , but he ran as a write-in candidate and finished in third behind Jimmy Carter and Senator Frank Church of Idaho . Brown is often credited with winning the New Jersey and Rhode Island primaries, but in reality, uncommitted slates of delegates that Brown advocated in those states finished first. With support from Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards , Brown won a majority of delegates at
13464-459: The district court's ruling, enabling Governor Jerry Brown to order same-sex marriages to resume. The passage of Proposition 8 received widespread media coverage over the amendment's effect on the concurrent 2008 presidential and congressional elections , as well as the pre-election effects Proposition 8 had on California's reputation as a historically LGBT-friendly state and the same-sex marriage debate that had started after same-sex marriage
13617-496: The donations they received came from Mormon sources, and that LDS church members made up somewhere between 80% and 90% of the volunteers for early door-to-door canvassing. Other religious organizations that supported Proposition 8 include the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , Eastern Orthodox Church , a group of Evangelical Christians led by Jim Garlow and Miles McPherson , American Family Association , Focus on
13770-436: The failed 1978 Briggs Initiative , which sought to ban homosexuals from working in California's public schools, for his increased support of gay rights . The governor also signed AB 489, The Consenting Adult Sex Act , which decriminalized homosexual behavior between adults, adding to this reputation. He did, however, sign AB 607, which barred homosexual couples from receiving civil marriage licenses, in 1977. Brown championed
13923-516: The famous supporter of supply-side economics who created the Laffer curve . This plan, which called for the replacement of the progressive income tax with a flat tax and a value added tax , both at a fixed 13% rate, was decried by his opponents as regressive. Nevertheless, it was endorsed by The New York Times , The New Republic , and Forbes , and its raising of taxes on corporations and elimination of various loopholes that tended to favor
14076-627: The final official version of the title and summary to both the Secretary of State and the initiative proponents. After gaining approval, proponents have 180 days to gather the required number of signatures (the Secretary of State sets the official deadline within one day after receiving the title and summary from the Attorney General). Proponents usually seek at least 50 percent more than the legal minimum number of signatures to compensate for possible duplicate or otherwise invalid signatures. Proponents who have gathered at least 25 percent of
14229-754: The first openly gay judge in the United States when he named Stephen Lachs to serve on the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 1979. In 1981, he also appointed the first openly lesbian judge in the United States, Mary C. Morgan , to the San Francisco Municipal Court. Brown completed his second term having appointed a total of five gay judges, including Rand Schrader and Jerold Krieger . Through his first term as governor, Brown had not appointed any openly gay people to any position, but he cited
14382-544: The future and E. F. Schumacher 's theory of " Buddhist economics ", was much expanded from 1976. His "era of limits" slogan was replaced by a promise to, in his words, "Protect the Earth, serve the people, and explore the universe". Three main planks of his platform were a call for a constitutional convention to ratify the Balanced Budget Amendment ; a promise to increase funds for the space program as
14535-518: The governor's office be fixed, Brown responded: “That hole will save the state at least $ 500 million, because legislators cannot come down and pound on my desk demanding lots of money for their pet programs while looking at a hole in my rug!” As governor, Brown took a strong interest in environmental issues . He appointed J. Baldwin to work in the newly created California Office of Appropriate Technology, Sim Van der Ryn as State Architect, Stewart Brand as Special Advisor, John Bryson as chairman of
14688-427: The governorship in 1982, succeeding Brown, and was re-elected overwhelmingly in 1986. After his Senate defeat in 1982, many considered Brown's political career to be over. Brown traveled to Japan to study Buddhism , studying with Christian/Zen practitioner Hugo Enomiya-Lassalle under Yamada Koun-roshi . In an interview, he explained, "Since politics is based on illusions, zazen definitely provides new insights for
14841-485: The highest number of affirmative votes be enforced. The Court was concerned that attempts to combine the non-conflicting provisions in such competing initiatives would result in regulatory schemes completely different from what the electorate understood or intended. Criticism has been raised of the initiative process, suggesting that with trends toward lower voter turnouts, and evidence for voter disinterest in candidates and issues other than in presidential elections, that
14994-491: The idea of mandatory non-military national service for the nation's youth. He suggested that the Defense Department cut back on support troops while beefing up the number of combat troops. Brown opposed Kennedy's call for universal national health insurance and opposed Carter's call for an employer mandate to provide catastrophic private health insurance labeling it socialist. As an alternative, he suggested
15147-436: The insects' reproductive cycle. Ultimately, the infestation was eradicated, but both the governor's delay and the scale of the action have remained controversial ever since. Some people claimed that malathion was toxic to humans, as well as insects. In response to such concerns, Brown's chief of staff, B. T. Collins , staged a news conference during which he publicly drank a glass of malathion. Many people complained that, while
15300-424: The interim period May to November 2008 (i.e. after In re Marriage Cases but before Proposition 8). Proposition 8 came into immediate effect on November 5, 2008, the day after the elections. Demonstrations and protests occurred across the state and nation. Same-sex couples and government entities, including couples who had married before then, filed numerous lawsuits with the California Supreme Court challenging
15453-490: The largest margins of victory in any statewide California race. In the final weeks leading up to Election Day, Brown's eligibility to run for attorney general was challenged in what Brown called a "political stunt by a Republican office seeker" ( Contra Costa County Republican Central Committee chairman and state GOP vice-chair candidate Tom Del Beccaro). Plaintiffs claimed Brown did not meet eligibility according to California Government Code §12503, "No person shall be eligible to
15606-500: The law in question is enacted to submit the request to the Attorney General for a circulating title and summary, gather the signatures, and file the petitions with the county elections officials; otherwise, it must go through the initiative process, submitted as a proposed amendment. Laws that are ineligible for optional referendums include urgency statutes, statutes calling elections, and statutes providing for tax levies or appropriations for usual, current state expenses. To qualify on
15759-454: The law is repealed. As of 2020, only 94 optional referendums proposed since 1912 had received a circulating title and summary, and of those only 52 qualified for the ballot. Originally, ballot propositions were given a number starting at one each election. This tended to be confusing as often famous initiatives such as Proposition 13 in 1978 might be confused with another initiative in a later year if there were more than twelve proposals on
15912-431: The licensing of same-sex marriages on the basis of the state's equal protection clause , prompted also by recent events including George W. Bush 's proposed constitutional ban , a possible legal case by Campaign for California Families (CCF), and a Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruling deeming same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional and permitting them from May 2004. While only lasting a month before being overruled, this
16065-408: The longest-serving governor in the history of California , surpassing Earl Warren . Brown was born in San Francisco , California, the only son of four children born to district attorney of San Francisco and later governor of California, Edmund Gerald "Pat" Brown Sr., and his wife, Bernice Layne . Brown's father was of half Irish and half German descent. His great-grandfather August Schuckman,
16218-410: The malathion may not have been very toxic to humans, the aerosol spray containing it was corrosive to car paint. Brown proposed the establishment of a state space academy and the purchasing of a satellite that would be launched into orbit to provide emergency communications for the state—a proposal similar to one that was indeed eventually adopted. In 1979, an out-of-state columnist, Mike Royko , at
16371-534: The measure did, in fact, eliminate a right upheld by the California Supreme Court. California Attorney General Jerry Brown explained that the changes were required to more "accurately reflect the measure" in light of the California Supreme Court's intervening In re Marriage Cases decision. On July 22, 2008, Proposition 8 supporters mounted a legal challenge to the revised ballot title and summary, contending that Attorney General Brown inserted "language [...] so inflammatory that it will unduly prejudice voters against
16524-414: The measure objected to the wording of the ballot title and summary on the grounds that they were argumentative and prejudicial. The resulting legal petition Jansson v. Bowen was dismissed August 7, 2008, by California Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley, who ruled that "the title and summary includes an essentially verbatim recital of the text of the measure itself", and that the change was valid because
16677-427: The measure". Supporters claimed that research showed that an attorney general had never used an active verb like "eliminates" in the title of a ballot measure in the past fifty years in which ballot measures have been used. Representatives of the attorney general produced twelve examples of ballot measures using the word "eliminates" and vouched for the neutrality and accuracy of the ballot language. On August 8, 2008,
16830-468: The minimum number of required signatures needed to be collected is 623,212 for a proposed statute, and 997,139 for a proposed constitutional amendment. The filing fee for submitting an initiative to the ballot was increased from $ 200 to $ 2,000 following the signing of a law in September 2015. This fee is refunded if the proposition makes it to the ballot. The $ 200 fee had been originally set in 1943, and
16983-471: The money raised ratio" was by far the best of any candidate's in the race. He had a sizable number of delegates, and a big win in his home state of California would have deprived Clinton of sufficient support to win the Democratic nomination, possibly bringing about a brokered convention . After nearly a month of intense campaigning and multiple debates between the two candidates, Clinton managed to defeat Brown in this final primary, 48% to 41%. Brown did not win
17136-399: The nomination, but was able to boast of one accomplishment: at the following month's Democratic National Convention , he received the votes of 596 delegates on the first ballot, more than any other candidate but Clinton. He spoke at the convention, and to the national viewing audience, yet without endorsing Clinton, through the device of seconding his own nomination. There was animosity between
17289-578: The novitiate from August 1956 to January 1960 before enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley , where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in classics in 1961. With his tuition paid for by the Louis Lurie Foundation, including a $ 675 scholarship in 1963, Brown went on to Yale Law School and graduated with a Bachelor of Laws in 1964. After law school, Brown worked as a law clerk for California Supreme Court justice Mathew Tobriner . Returning to California, Brown took
17442-536: The office of Attorney General unless he shall have been admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the state for a period of at least five years immediately preceding his election or appointment to such office." Some legal analysts called the lawsuit frivolous because Brown was admitted to practice law in the State of California on June 14, 1965, and had been so admitted to practice ever since. Although ineligible to practice law because of his voluntary inactive status in
17595-446: The option to withdraw an initiative that is "eligible" for the ballot. The Secretary of State only uses the "qualified" classification in this particular case to mean when the initiative is on the official list that will appear on the ballot, which is prepared and certified on that 131-day mark. Ballots that record neither a "yes" nor a "no" on the proposition are ignored, and of the remaining votes, "yes" votes must exceed "no" votes for
17748-566: The outcome, and same sex marriages resumed almost immediately afterwards. In 2005, the site ProtectMarriage.com was created as the "Official website for the California Constitutional Marriage Amendment" and launched a campaign to pass a ballot proposition to constitutionally prohibit same-sex marriage. In 2007, ProtectMarriage.com tried and failed to get Initiative 1254, a proposed ballot proposition to constitutionally prohibit same-sex marriage on
17901-440: The party's donor base and enlarged its coffers, with a focus on grassroots organizing and get out the vote drives, he was criticized for not spending enough money on TV ads, which was felt to have contributed to Democratic losses in several close races in 1990, such as Dianne Feinstein 's attempt to become the first female governor of California . In early 1991, Brown abruptly resigned his post and announced that he would run for
18054-440: The petitions circulated to qualify the measure for the ballot inaccurately summarized its effect. The court denied the petition without comment. As a general rule, it is improper for courts to adjudicate pre-election challenges to a measure's substantive validity. The question of whether Proposition 8 is a constitutional amendment or constitutional revision was ruled on by the California Supreme Court on May 26, 2009, and found that it
18207-422: The proponents of Prop 8 had the right to appeal (known as " standing ") if the state did not do so. The California Supreme Court ruled that they did. The Ninth Circuit affirmed the federal district court's decision on February 7, 2012, but the stay remained in place as appeals continued to the U.S. Supreme Court , which heard oral arguments in the appeal Hollingsworth v. Perry on March 26, 2013. On June 26, 2013,
18360-517: The proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time". The church produced and broadcast to its congregations a program describing the support of the Proposition, and describing the timeline it proposes for what it describes as grassroots efforts to support the Proposition. Local church leaders set organizational and monetary goals for their membership—sometimes quite specific—to fulfill this call. The response of church members to their leadership's appeals to donate money and volunteer time
18513-407: The proposition to pass. In other words, the majority of voters required for passage refers to a majority of those voting on that proposition, rather than a majority of those voting in the election held at the same time, or a majority of those who are registered to vote. If the proposition passes, it becomes a part of the state constitution (if it is a proposed amendment) or the state's statutes (if it
18666-403: The proposition's validity and effect on previously administered same-sex marriages. In Strauss v. Horton , the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, but allowed the existing same-sex marriages to stand (under the grandfather clause principle). (Justice Carlos R. Moreno dissented that exceptions to the equal protection clause could not be made by any majority since its whole purpose
18819-567: The race. A week later, he cemented his position as a major threat to Clinton when he eked out a narrow win in the bitterly fought Connecticut primary. As the press focused on the primaries in New York and Wisconsin , which were held on the same day, Brown, who had taken the lead in polls in both states, made a gaffe : he announced to an audience of various leaders of New York City's Jewish community that, if nominated, he would consider Jesse Jackson as his running mate. Jackson, who had made
18972-399: The raw count of signatures to the Secretary of State, who then determines if the counties can proceed with verifying the signatures or if the initiative proponents failed to get the required number of signatures. In verifying the signatures, the counties first take a random sample of 3 percent or 500 of the signatures, whichever is greater, and have 30 working days to report their findings to
19125-592: The recent House banking scandal and the large congressional pay raises of 1990, he promised to put an end to Congress being a " Stop-and-Shop for the moneyed special interests ". As Brown campaigned in various primary states, he expanded his platform beyond a policy of strict campaign finance reform . Although he focused on a variety of issues during the campaign, he highlighted his endorsement of living wage laws and opposition to free trade agreements such as NAFTA ; he mostly concentrated on his tax policy, which had been created specifically for him by Arthur Laffer ,
19278-436: The required number of signatures must immediately submit a written statement to the Secretary of State certifying they have done so. This is to allow time for each chamber in the State Legislature to assign the proposed initiative to its appropriate committees and schedule public hearings on it. However, the Legislature cannot amend the proposed initiative or prevent it from being added to the ballot once it qualifies. After all
19431-402: The required number of signatures, the referendum automatically qualifies; if less than 95 percent, it fails; and if it is between 95 and 110 percent, a full check of all the signatures is performed. Unlike initiatives which must qualify 131 days before the election to appear on the ballot, a referendum can qualify up to 31 days before. If the referendum receives more "no" votes than "yes" votes,
19584-431: The resulting law in federal court , either to the Supreme Court or (previously) to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals . Therefore, the Supreme Court vacated the decision of the Ninth Circuit, and remanded the case for further proceedings. The decision left the district court's 2010 ruling intact. On June 28, 2013, the Ninth Circuit, on remand, dismissed the appeal for lack of jurisdiction and dissolved their previous stay of
19737-622: The same conclusion as the district court, but on narrower grounds. The court ruled that it was unconstitutional for California to grant marriage rights to same-sex couples, only to take them away shortly after. The ruling was stayed pending appeal to the United States Supreme Court. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision on the appeal in the case Hollingsworth v. Perry , ruling that proponents of initiatives such as Proposition 8 did not possess legal standing in their own right to defend
19890-415: The same election conflict, those of the measure receiving the highest affirmative vote shall prevail." However, those provisions that do not conflict with the winning proposition may still go into effect. To get around this loophole, many initiatives include so-called "poison pill" clauses, specifying which provisions are voided in the other propositions. The rule in the constitution was clarified in 1990 by
20043-616: The schools, and his reform efforts were "largely a bust". He focused instead on the creation of two charter schools , the Oakland School for the Arts and the Oakland Military Institute . Defending his support of a military charter school in Oakland, Brown once told KQED reporter Stephen Talbot, "I believe that had I been sent to the military academy, as my mother and father threatened, I would have been president
20196-403: The signature. California ballot proposition Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: Mayoral elections: In California , a ballot proposition is a referendum or an initiative measure that is submitted to the electorate for a direct decision or direct vote (or plebiscite ). If passed, it can alter one or more of the articles of
20349-611: The signed petitions have been collected, proponents need to turn them in to each appropriate county elections official (i.e. all the signatures from those in Alameda County need to be submitted to the Alameda County elections official, Los Angeles County signatures need to be turned in to the LA County elections official, and so on). Each county then has eight working days after receiving the signed petitions to report
20502-556: The spraying. After more than a month, millions of dollars of crops had been destroyed, and billions of dollars more were threatened. Governor Brown then authorized a massive response to the infestation. Fleets of helicopters sprayed malathion at night, and the California National Guard set up highway checkpoints and collected many tons of local fruit; in the final stage of the campaign, entomologists released millions of sterile male medflies in an attempt to disrupt
20655-475: The state bar exam and passed on his second attempt. He then settled in Los Angeles and joined the law firm of Tuttle & Taylor. In 1969, Brown ran for the newly created Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, which oversaw community colleges in the city; he placed first in a field of 124 and served until 1971. In 1970, Brown was elected California secretary of state . Brown argued before
20808-736: The state courts, two same-sex couples filed a lawsuit against the initiative in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in the case Perry v. Schwarzenegger (later Hollingsworth v. Perry ). In August 2010, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker ruled that the amendment was unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment , since it purported to re-remove rights from
20961-419: The state's 17.3 million registered voters. The campaigns for and against Proposition 8 raised $ 39.0 million ($ 11.3 million or 29.1% from outside California) and $ 44.1 million ($ 13.2 million or 30.0% from outside California), respectively, from over 64,000 people in all 50 states and more than 20 foreign countries, setting a new record nationally for a social policy initiative and more than for every other race in
21114-403: The suburb of Carmichael and instead renting a $ 275-per-month apartment at 1228 N Street, adjacent to Capitol Park in downtown Sacramento. Rather than riding as a passenger in a chauffeured limousine as previous governors had done, Brown walked to work and drove in a Plymouth Satellite sedan . When Gray Davis , who was chief of staff to Governor Brown, suggested that a hole in the rug in
21267-487: The very wealthy proved popular with voters. Various opinion polls at the time found that as many as three-quarters of Americans believed the current tax code was biased toward the wealthy. Jesse Walker wrote in The American Conservative that he "seemed to be the most left-wing and right-wing man in the field ... [calling] for term limits, a flat tax, reforming social security, and the abolition of
21420-521: The vote in the New Hampshire primary , and he was soon forced to announce that his decision to remain in the race would depend on a good showing in the Wisconsin primary. Although he had polled well there throughout the primary season, an attempt to film a live speech in Madison , the state's capital, into a special effects -filled, 30-minute commercial (produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola )
21573-446: The voters must then support these amendments or new laws on the ballot for them to go into effect. Laws already adopted by the state legislature may be vetoed by means of a referendum. This is also known as a "petition referendum" or "people's veto". The process is similar to an initiative as noted above, except that it is an already passed law submitted as a petition to the Attorney General. The proponent, however, only has 90 days after
21726-464: The votes cast during the 2006 California gubernatorial election . In late April 2008, ProtectMarriage.com submitted a petition containing 1,120,801 signatures, which was 426,447 more signatures than was necessary to put the measure on the ballot. On June 2, 2008, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said a random sample check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough names to qualify and certified it as
21879-417: Was created by opponents of same-sex marriage in advance of the California Supreme Court 's May 2008 appeal ruling, In re Marriage Cases , which followed the short-lived 2004 same-sex weddings controversy and found the previous ban on same-sex marriage ( Proposition 22 , 2000) unconstitutional . Proposition 8 was ultimately ruled unconstitutional by a federal court (on different grounds) in 2010, although
22032-402: Was disastrous. In 1982 , Brown chose not to seek a third term as governor; instead, he ran for the United States Senate for the seat being vacated by Republican S. I. Hayakawa . He was defeated by Republican San Diego mayor Pete Wilson by a margin of 52% to 45%. After his Senate defeat, Brown was left with few political options. Republican George Deukmejian , a Brown critic, narrowly won
22185-519: Was legalized in Massachusetts through a 2004 court decision . After the results were certified and same-sex marriages ceased, supporters of the initiative were targeted by opponents with actions ranging from some opponents disclosing supporter donations and boycotting proponents' businesses, to others threatening supporters with death and vandalizing churches. A ballot proposal to formally repeal Proposition 8 from California's constitution
22338-432: Was not a revision and therefore would be upheld. They also declared that the same-sex marriages performed prior to the passing of Prop 8 would remain valid. The measure was titled: "Eliminates Rights of Same-Sex Couples to Marry. Initiative Constitutional Amendment." The ballot summary read that the measure "changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California." Proponents of
22491-589: Was not as bad as Biafra thought he would be, and subsequent songs have been written about other politicians deemed worse. Brown chose not to run for a third term in 1982, and instead ran for the United States Senate , but lost to San Diego mayor Pete Wilson . He was succeeded as governor by George Deukmejian , then state attorney general, on January 3, 1983. In 1980, Brown challenged Carter for renomination. The press had anticipated his candidacy ever since he won re-election as governor in 1978 over
22644-563: Was passed by the California State Legislature in July 2023. The vote to formally repeal Proposition 8 was passed by nearly 63% of voters in the 2024 elections . In 2000, the State of California adopted Proposition 22 which, as an ordinary statute, forbade recognition or licensing of same-sex marriages in the state. During February and March 2004, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom directed
22797-605: Was rapidly losing residents and businesses, and Brown is credited with starting the revitalization of the city using his connections and experience to lessen the economic downturn while attracting $ 1 billion of investments, including refurbishing the Fox Theatre , the Port of Oakland , and Jack London Square . The downtown district was losing retailers, restaurateurs and residential developers, and Brown sought to attract thousands of new residents with disposable income to revitalize
22950-420: Was supported by other cities such as San Jose , gained global attention, and led to the case In re Marriage Cases , in which Proposition 22 was found ( San Francisco County Superior Court , March 14, 2005) and confirmed upon appeal ( California Supreme Court , May 15, 2008) to be unconstitutional. Proposition 8 was created by opponents of same-sex marriage prior to the final ruling on In re Marriage Cases as
23103-471: Was the largest financial supporter of the successful effort to maintain a legal definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) also publicly supported the proposition. The First Presidency of the church announced its support for Proposition 8 in a letter intended to be read in every congregation in California. In this letter, church members were encouraged to "do all you can to support
23256-405: Was to protect minorities against the will of a majority.) Although upheld in state court, Proposition 8 was ruled unconstitutional by the federal courts. In Perry v. Schwarzenegger , United States District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8 on August 4, 2010, ruling that it violated both the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution . Walker issued
23409-435: Was very supportive, such that Latter-day Saints provided a significant source for financial donations in support of the proposition, both inside and outside the State of California. LDS members contributed over $ 20 million, about 45% of out-of-state contributions to ProtectMarriage.com came from Utah , over three times more than any other state. ProtectMarriage, the official proponent of Proposition 8, estimates that about half
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