[PRpond]
ROSEVILLE - The Attorney General has released the ballot title and summary for the initiative to repeal the gas tax. Assemblyman Kiley, who has authored a constitutional amendment to give to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst Office the power to write ballot titles and summaries, issued the following statement:
"This is the most compelling example to date that the Attorney General's Office cannot be trusted to provide impartial information to voters," Kiley said. "The title omits that the purpose of the initiative is to repeal recently enacted taxes and fees. The summary then goes on to mischaracterize the measure as an effort to eliminate government oversight. There is no question that the ballot title and summary are a cynical effort to mislead, misdirect, and misinform."
Assemblyman Kiley's constitutional amendment to strip the Attorney General of the power to write ballot titles and summaries was voted down in the Assembly Elections Committee on June 28 by a 2-4 vote.
Kiley added: "Whatever your position on the gas tax or the campaign to repeal it, where we should all agree is that voters ought to have an honest description of what they are voting for. The Attorney General's actions may allow the regressive gas tax to live another day, but their long term consequence will be to erode trust in government and faith in Californian direct democracy. Now more than ever, fundamental reform of the initiative process is needed."
-----
Assemblyman Kevin Kiley represents the 6th Assembly District, which includes the Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado County communities of Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Fair Oaks, Folsom, Granite Bay, Lincoln, Loomis, Orangevale, Penryn, Rocklin, Roseville, and Sheridan.
