Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is putting his money where his mouth is by dropping $500,000 from his own ballot measure committee to support passage of Proposition 14, also known as the top-two primary. Schwarzenegger has been a vocal supporter of the initiative and now his financial support will give the campaign some much needed encouragement. The “Yes on 14” camp had a negative balance for awhile, but the governor’s contribution, as well as a big check from Netflix’s CEO has turned the fortunes of the campaign. More contributions are reportedly set to roll in as well. Read more from Capital Alert here.

First up, the Secretary of State has released information about three new initiatives that have been cleared for circulation as of March 26th. One initiative, the "California Democracy Act (Version 2)", is pending at the Attorney Generals’ Office. Here’s the rundown:

-- 1463. (10-0007) Transfers Authority for Drawing Congressional Districts from Elected Representatives to State Commission on Redistricting. Initiative Constitutional Amendment. This initiative takes the powers of the new redistricting commission and expands them to include control over Congressional districts. It would remove elected officials from the process. See the full text here.

-- 1462. (10-0006) Repeals Laws That Require Every Driver to Maintain Automobile Liability Insurance. Initiative Statute. The title of this initiative is fairly self-explanatory, but it would mandate insurance requirements for drivers of commercial vehicles and drivers who have been convicted of certain vehicular crimes. You can read the full text here.

As June’s election grows increasingly near, the California State Association of Counties Board of Directors recently voted to oppose Proposition 16, the initiative that would limit local government's ability to expand local energy programs. You can read more about Prop. 16 here, which is being bankrolled by PG&E. Reportedly the board felt it was a quick and easy decision to make because the initiative does not support public power options that local governments can pursue. Also, CSAC’s Agriculture & Natural Resources Policy Committee and Executive Committee had already voted to oppose the measure. David Liebler, the Director of Public Affairs and Member Services for the California State Association of Counties, wrote the following of the decision:

“CSAC has had a productive and close partnership with PG&E and other private utilities over the years; it’s a partnership we highly value and will continue to do so. But on this one, we just had to say ‘no.’”

(Cross-posted at County News)
 

While we relayed here that prior to the official airing at the Legislature about Prop. 17, opponents orchestrated a press-conference with a chicken to poke fun of Mercury’s Chairman George Joseph for not showing up, Total Buzz provides a rundown of the days’ proceedings and background about the debate surrounding it. And if you want to see video of the stunt with the chicken, then look no further, it’s right here. View coverage from Total Buzz at the OC Register here.

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) recently released a new poll that has garnered a lot of attention. In relation to propositions, the latest poll revealed that a majority favor Proposition 14, known as the top-two primary. Fifty-six percent said they would vote yes on this proposition, and 17 percent are undecided.

Also of note was that 50 percent of Californians favor same-sex marriage. Voters will remember that 52 percent of Californians approved Proposition 8, which took away the right for gays and lesbians to marry. PPIC reports: “Support among all adults has never surpassed 45 percent since the question was first asked in January 2000. There are clear partisan divisions: majorities of Democrats (64%) and independents (55%) are in favor, and most Republicans (67%) are opposed.”

You can read more about the survey here.