BRADLEYS.PHILLIPS(StateBarNo.085263)Bradley.Phillips@mto.com2GRANTDAVIS-DENNY(StateBarNo.229335)Grant.Davis-Denny@mto.com3SORAYAC.KELLY(StateBar.No.252993)Soraya.Kelly@mto.com4LEOGOLDBARD(StateBarNo.254528)Leo.Goldbard@mto.com5MUNGER,TOLLES
&
OLSONLLP355SouthGrandAvenue,Thirty-FifthFloor6LosAngeles,CA90071-1560Telephone:(213)683-91007Facsimile:(213)687-37028JAMESR.SUTTON(StateBarNo.135930)JSutton@campaignlawyers.com9BRADLEYW.HERTZ(StateBarNo.138564)BHertz@campaignlawyers.com10150PostStreet,Suite405SanFrancisco,CA9410811THESUTTONLAWFIRMTelephone:(415)732-770012Facsimile:(415)732-770113AttorneysforPetitionersOURCHILDREN,OURFUTURE14MOLLYMUNGER15SUPERIORCOURTOFTHESTATEOFCALIFORNIA16FORTHECOUNTYOFSACRAMENTO1718
(CCPsections1085
&
1086;Cal.Elec.Codesections9030,9089,13115
&
13314)
[PRIORITYMATTERPURSUANTTOCALIFORNIAELECTIONSCODESECTION13314(a)(3)]
OURCHILDREN,OURFUTUREand19MOLLYMUNGER,CASENO.
VERIFIEDPETITIONFORPREEMPTORYWRITOFMANDATE
20Petitioners,21vs.22DEBRABOWEN,inherofficialcapacity23asCALIFORNIASECRETARYOF.STATE;andDOES1through25inclusive,242526Respondents.27ThomasA.Willis,28RealPartyinInterest.
VERIFIEDPETITIONFORWRITOFMANDATE
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PetitionersOurChildren,OurFutureandMollyMunger("Petitioners"),sponsorofOurChildren,OurFuture:LocalSchoolandEarlyEducationInvestmentandBondDebtReductionAct("OCOFinitiative"),herebypetitionthisCourtforapreemptorywritofmandatedirectedtoRespondentDebraBowen,inhercapacityasCaliforniaSecretaryofState("Respondent"),andallegeasfollows:
INTRODUCTORYSTATEMENT
1.ThisactionconcernsstatutoryviolationsthatimminentlythreatentoaltertheresultsoftheupcomingNovember2012electionsandaffectthefutureofCaliforniaeducationforyearstocome.ThisNovember,thevoterswilldecidethefateoftwomeasuresthatrelate,inpart,toprovidingnewrevenuestreamsforthefinancingofpubliceducation
(1)
theOCOFinitiative,and(2)aninitiativesponsoredbytheGovernorentitledtheSchoolsandSafetyProtectionAct("Governor'sinitiative").BasedontheplainlanguageoftheGovernor'sinitiative,thetwoinitiativesareinconflictandonlyonecanprevail,evenifbothreceivemajoritysupport.2.Californialawhaslongprovidedthatinitiativesarelistedontheballotintheorderinwhichtheyqualify.Qualification,intum,dependsuponwhencountyelectionofficialssubmitcertificatesshowingasufficientnumberofpetitionsignaturesbyqualifiedvoters.Andcountyelectionofficialsarerequiredtosubmitthesecertificateswithin30daysofreceivinganotificationfromtheSecretaryofState,but"immediately"aftercompletingtheirexaminationsofthepetition.3.Underthissetofrules,theOCOFinitiativeappeareddestinedtoqualifybeforenotificationforOCOFtocountyelectionofficialsafulleightdaysbeforeitissuedthesamenotificationfortheGovernor'sinitiative.Moreover,becausetheGovernor'sinitiativeseekstheGovernor'sinitiative.OCOF'sproponentsfinishedsubmittingtheirpetitionsbeforethe25proponentsoftheGovernor'sinitiative.Additionally,theSecretaryofStateissuedits
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VERIFIEDPETITIONFORWRITOFMANDATE
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toamendtheCaliforniaConstitutionwhiletheOCOFinitiativemakesonlystatutorychanges,theGovernor'sinitiativerequiredsignificantlymorepetitionsignaturesthanOCOFinordertoqualify;asaresult,countyelectionofficialsalsohadtocountmoresignaturestocompletetheexaminationprocessfortheGovernor'sinitiativethantheyhadtocountfortheOCOFinitiative.Unsurprisingly,thevastmajorityofCaliforniacountiessubmittedtheirOCOFcertificatestotheSecretaryofStatebeforetheysubmittedtheircertificatesfortheGovernor'sinitiative.4.Nevertheless,theSecretaryofState'sofficehasindicatedthatwhenitannouncestheofficialballotorderonJuly2,2012,itintendstolisttheGovernor'sinitiativeontheballot
before
theOCOFinitiative.Oninformationandbelief,PetitionersallegethattheGovernor'sinitiativehasreceivedthissignificantelectoraladvantageonlybecausetwopopulouscounties,LosAngelesandAlamedacounties,failedtocomplywiththeirstatutorydutytosubmittheircertificatesandresultsofexaminationfortheOCOFinitiativetotheSecretaryofState
immediately
aftercompletingtheirexaminationsoftheOCOFpetitions.5.Oninformationandbelief,supportersoftheGovernor'sinitiativerecognizedthatunderexistinglaw,theOCOFinitiativeshouldbelistedbeforetheGovernor'sinitiativeontheballot.Forthisreason,onJune25,2012,abudget-trailerbilldevoidofsubstancewasamendedtochangetheElectionsCodeinamannerthatwouldelevatetheGovernor'sinitiativetothetopoftheballot.Buttowork,thisbillhadtotakeeffectimmediately,ratherthanonJanuary1,2013thedatethatastatutoryamendmentpassedbyasimplemajorityordinarilywouldbecomeeffective.SotheLegislaturelabeledthebillmodifyingtheballotorderrulesabill"relatedtothebudget"inanattempttotakeadvantageofaprovisionoftheCaliforniaConstitutionthatallowsbudget-relatedbillstotakeeffectimmediately.Thisbill,however,wasinnoway,shape,orform"relatedtothebudget."ThisattempttochangetherulesinthemiddleofthegamethusreflectsnotonlyanabuseofthepoliticalprocessandLegislativepower,butitdoesnotqualifyasabudget-relatedbillandthereforewillnotbecomeeffectiveuntilJanuary1,2013.Putdifferently,thisbillhasnoeffectontheballotorderfortheNovember2012election.6.Inshort,theSecretaryofStateisrequiredbythelawcurrentlyineffecttolistthe
VERIFIEDPETITIONFORWRITOFMANDATE
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Munger v. Bowen lawsuit on November ballot measure order
Lawsuit filed June 28, 2012 by Molly Munger to block Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative from being moved to the top of the November ballot.
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