Measure L, the Sit/Lie law, looks to have passed with 53% of the city voting yes to outlaw sitting or lying on sidewalks between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. more ›

A Texas oil refinery and a Kansas-based chemical company have dumped several million dollars into the coffers of the proponents of Prop 23, which will appear on the November ballot in California. Why would these out-of-state corporations care about a ballot initiative dubbed the "California Jobs Initiative"? Because it would roll back AB 32, the landmark California climate change law signed in 2006, until employment numbers improve statewide. more ›

OK, listen up! For all those who believe in marriage equality, and even for those who just love a good protest march, DayOfDecision.org has all the details about protests planned for tonight in San Francisco following on the CA Supreme Court's ruling to uphold Prop 8. more ›

Not sure how much this budget-by-ballot blitz just cost us, but with 17% of precincts reporting, five of the six ballot measures in today's special election appear to have failed, with 60%+ of voters saying NO to propositions 1A through E. more ›

John Myers at KQED's California Report did a report about this very unspecial Special Election we're having today, in which some TBD tiny percentage of the state's population is going to arrive at polling stations and probably vote down the Governator's budget balancing ballot measures. Whether or not any of the ballot proposals are valid, it appears people are tired enough of special elections, and tired enough of everyone losing all their money that "No, no, no, no, no," is the most natural response. Regardless, no one knows what the hell they're voting on anyway. more ›

At the risk of sounding un-democratic, we hate the whole voter-approved proposition system and we think you do too. Even the most educated voters don't tend to know enough about both sides of issues -- particularly when it comes to esoteric accounting procedures and the issuing of multi-billion-dollar bonds -- to vote intelligently, let alone voters who don't like to read, or think. Prop 8, and all similar discriminatory propositions in the state's history (Prop 6 in 1976, which figured in the Milk film, and Prop 14 in 1964, which was overwhelmingly approved and which allowed landlords to discriminate based on race) are perfect examples of how easily the system can be abused, and how dangerous a role it can play. more ›