Close, but no cigar: Supporters of a repeal of California's controversial DREAM Act, which enables some illegal immigrants to access public financial aid for higher education, came in at about 60,000 signatures short of what is needed to get a referendum on the ballot. more ›

California's Courage Campaign has singled out one of the world's most loved and hated celebrities for her corpulent salary of $12 million - Miss Kim Kardashian. In "Tell Kim Kardashian to Endorse the Millionaires Tax of 2012," Courage Campaign shows how "Kim Kardashian made more than $12 million in 2010, but she only paid 1% more in taxes than a middle-class Californian," says the campaign site. more ›

The L.A. City Attorney's office apparently does not want voters determining the fate of safe sex in the local porn industry. City attorneys filed suit against AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) in L.A. County Superior Court on Thursday. more ›

As one of the most popular vegetarian proteins on the market, tofu is a common substitute for the holiday turkey. Angelenos eat tofu for many reasons, one often being the belief that this is better for the environment. Consider, though, that much of the soy used to make tofu is genetically engineered, also known as genetically modified. more ›

Do you want to see genetically engineered foods labeled? Help get the California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act of 2012 ballot initiative passed and attend a local training meeting this week. more ›

The June 2012 ballot may ask Los Angeles voters to determine the fate of safe sex in the local porn industry. A concisely named porn initiative - City of Los Angeles Safer Sex In The Adult Film Industry Act - mandating condoms for actors launched in August 2011 and is a month ahead of its December 23 signature deadline. more ›

Californians are one step closer to voting on a ballot initiative requiring labeling of genetically engineered foods. Last week, the coalition It's Our Right To Know filed a ballot initiative with the California Attorney General's office. Volunteers must collect at least 850,000 signatures by April 2012 in order to place the initiative on the November 2012 state ballot. more ›

This Sunday, October 16, Angelenos can participate in democracy by attending the World Food Day Rally at the Westwood Federal Building. Regular folks will be gathering from 12pm to 4pm to show their support for food security locally and worldwide. more ›

Local residents can learn more about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) popping up on their dinner plates at a special event on Thursday, October 13, hosted by Co-Opportunity Natural Foods at the Santa Monica Library Auditorium from 6:30pm to 9pm. At "Hidden in our Food: GMOs and Your Right to Know," guests will join the discussion on the issues surrounding GMOs and inform their decision on whether or not to eat GMO-free food. more ›

In 2012, Californians may have the opportunity to vote on a grassroots ballot measure requiring food purveyors to label food when it contains genetically-modified organisms, or GMOs. GMOs are organisms that have been genetically engineered to include genes from other organisms. more ›

To help explain Amazon.com Inc.'s shut down of their affiliate program in California, the debate over the new sales tax law and the current petition, Next Media Animation, a Taiwanese subsidiary of Next Media, has produced a short animation entitled "Amazon takes on California over sales tax." Animated Californian voters are shown checking "YAY!" in support of a tax-free online market. more ›

A new law requiring online retailers to collect California sales tax from shoppers has stirred up controversy, and now Amazon.com Inc. is saying they are looking for voters to take the matter to the ballot. more ›

June 15th is the day the State Budget gets voted on by our legislators, and as that day nears, Governor Jerry Brown has taken to YouTube with a video message about what he wants to do, and what he needs to happen to get it done. more ›

It seems unlikely that Kamala Harris or Steve Cooley will be able to give thanks at their family table on Thursday for being named California's next Attorney General, since it's looking like the ballot count for the post will go on past Thanksgiving, according to the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert. more ›

Over two weeks since voters went to the polls in California, the state is still laboring over ballots to determine who will become the next Attorney General. Holding on to a slim lead she reclaimed over the weekend, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris is inching past Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley once again in the slow see-saw tally, according to the Daily News. more ›

When library hours were shortened by two days this summer, thanks to budget cuts, there was a movement to save them via the ballot. The prospect of that is nearing reality. Today the L.A. City Council voted to have language drawn up to put such a measure before voters on March 8th, 2011. more ›

Modern-day Nazi party members who believe in "a breakaway white nation" and who celebrate Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party are among the candidates on Tuesday's ballots in the Inland Empire, according to an AP report on CBS2. more ›

In March, Angelenos will be asked to go back to the polls and vote again. Half of the Los Angeles city council seats are up for grabs, and current councilmembers are proposing more than a dozen ballot measures. This afternoon at a joint city council committee meeting (.pdf) they will be discussed. Here's a quick list of them, divided into two sections: more ›

To avoid the polls on November 2nd, California's voters can request a vote-by-mail ballot. The deadline to do so is today, however, and for residents of Los Angeles county, those interested in getting a mail-in ballot must submit their request online by 11:59 p.m. tonight, explains LA Now. more ›

Meg Whitman has announced her position on the propositions on California's November ballot, reports the OC Register. The Republican Governor-hopeful is saying no to pot, repealing a tax break for businesses, and a tax to support state parks. more ›

Perhaps they're waiting until it's closer to November, perhaps not. The campaign for Prop 19, which would legalize marijuana in California, is not seeing large donations like similar drug propositions in the past, finds the LA Times. So far, the prop's author Richard Lee is the biggest donor, giving $1.5 million of the $1.9 raised through June. About $10 million will be needed to launch a widely seen TV campaign. The latest Field Poll found that Prop 19 would narrowly lose. more ›

When a politician appeals for money on Twitter or Facebook, that action is not necessarily regulated by state like other reportable ones. That could soon change. A report released today by the state's ethics commission details recommendations on full disclosure of official campaign messages via social networking. more ›

In addition to voting on a sales tax increase that would raise it to 10.25%, Santa Monica voters will be asked on the November ballot about tenant rights. Approved Thursday by the city council, the measure would extend some rights... more ›

The three highly paid city of Bell officials have all agreed to resign, following an LA Times investigation that revealed extremely high salaries that prompted community anger and government investigations. City Manager Robert Rizzo, who is paid nearly $800,000, and Police Chief Randy Adams, paid $457,000, will resign at the end of August. Assistant City Manager Angela Spaccia, who is paid $376,288, will leave at the end of September. more ›

Voters in Los Angeles County made a pretty poor showing last month, despite some of the headline-making issues and candidates on the ballot, for the Statewide Direct Primary Election. In fact, L.A. had the lowest turnout of all California counties, with a mere 23.5% of registered voters casting ballots. more ›

Voters in the City of Los Angeles will not get to have a say on the November ballot in regards to a parcel tax whose revenue would in turn help fund the cash-strapped Los Angeles Public Library system. more ›

The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday moved forward with a plan to ask residents to increase the sales tax by a half penny on the November balot. Currently at 9.75%, if a majority of voters approve the measure, the sales tax would be hiked to 10.25%. Why a marjority vote and not a two-thirds vote? "As a 'general tax' that would raise revenue to be allocated at the council's discretion, the measure would require a simple majority vote to pass, rather than the two-thirds super majority needed to approve special taxes that direct revenue to specific uses," explained the Santa Monica Daily Press. The tax could raise $13-million for the cash-strapped city. Final approval for the ballot measure will take place at a July 13th meeting. more ›

Los Angeles voters may see a parcel tax measure that would help fund libraries on a ballot next year instead of this November if city budget officials have their way. The Board of Library Commissioners earlier this month approved a $39/year parcel tax for the November ballot that would fund libraries enough to open them six days a week, restore jobs and enhance other programs. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzengger was quick to make a statement last night after the oil-company funded ballot measure that would weaken California's landmark air pollution bill officially made the ballot. "“This initiative sponsored by greedy Texas oil companies would cripple California’s fastest growing economic sector, reverse our renewable energy policy and decimate our environmental progress for the benefit of these oil companies’ profit margins," he said in a statement. "I will not allow this to happen on my watch." Environmental groups have been anticipating that ballot measure for months and now the real fight begins. more ›

A measure largely funded by two large Texas oil companies that would suspend California pollution standards unless unemployment dropped significantly qualified for the November ballot, Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced today. more ›