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First measure for 2012 primaries heads to ballot
SACRAMENTO July 29, 2010 6:18am 
• Would restrict time that could be spent as state lawmakers • Incumbents would be exempted The first measure for California’s Feb. 7, 2012, presidential primary election has been approved for the ballot by Secretary of State Debra Bowen, California’s chief elections officer.
The initiative would change the limits on legislators’ terms in office.
In order to qualify for the ballot, the term limits initiative needed 694,354 valid petition signatures, which is equal to 8 percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2006 general election. The initiative proponent submitted 979,721 signatures in an attempt to qualify the measure, and it qualified through a full check of signatures.
The measure initially failed to qualify through the random sample signature check, says Ms. Bowen. When an initiative fails to qualify by random sampling, all counties must perform a full check of every signature submitted.
If approved by voters, it would reduce the total amount of time a person may serve in the state legislature from 14 years to 12 years. A person to serve a total of 12 years either in the Assembly, the Senate, or a combination of both.
It would apply only to legislators first elected after the measure is passed. Lawmakers elected before the measure is passed would continue to be subject to existing term limits.
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