May 19, 2009 Ballot Prop. 1F

Introduction

Proposition 1F would prohibit the state commission that sets salary levels for elected officials from increasing those salaries if the state General Fund is expected to end the year with a deficit. The measure would require the state Director of Finance to determine if a given year is a deficit year, and provide certification of that finding to the commission by June 1.

Legislators and all eight statewide constitutional officers currently receive annual salaries ranging from $116,000 (for legislators) to $212,000 (for the governor). California legislators, who serve full time, are also eligible to receive a per diem of $170/day to cover housing costs and expenses for each day they are in session. (The level of per diem payments is not set by the commission.) The commission has approved pay increases four times since 2000, with each pay increase less than or equal to the rate of inflation.

Proposition 1E

The California Citizens Compensation Commission was created in June 1990 after the passage of Proposition 112. The seven members of the commission are appointed by the governor and serve overlapping six-year terms. The commission is required to meet by June 30 of each year to decide what (if any) changes should be made to the salaries and benefits for members of the Legislature, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and members of the Board of Equalization.

Proposition 6 -- approved by voters in November 1972 -- prohibits the reduction of elected state officials’ salaries during their terms of office. The Commission is required to consider a variety of factors when it adjusts the annual salary and benefits including how much time is required to perform the duties, the annual salary of other elected officials with similar responsibilities, and the responsibility and scope of authority of the official. Currently, the state constitution does not require the commission to consider the financial condition of the state when setting the pay and benefits of these officials.

Proposition 1F would require that, in cases where the state's finances have weakened, the Director of Finance determine if the state's reserve fund is expected to have a negative balance equal to or greater than 1 percent of the General Fund. If so, the Director will transmit that certification to the commission on or before June 30, making state officials ineligible to receive salary increases.

Voter Information

Title Summary and Analysis

Campaign contributions database - Individual Committees (Secretary of State website)

Campaign contributions database - total (Secretary of State website) Select "May 2009 election" and "Prop.1F" in dropdown box.

Public Opinon Resources

Field Polls
March 3, 2009 
April 29, 2009

Public Policy Institute of CA 
March 2009 
May 2009

Survey USA
April 22, 2009 
May 11, 2009

Non-Partisan Resources

Ballotpedia

League of Women Voters

Reports and Studies

What Would Proposition 1E Mean for California? California Budget Project

Scheffler, Richard M. and Adams, Neal. Millionaires and Mental Health: Proposition 63 in California. Health Affairs, May 3, 2005.

Audio and Video

Center for Governmental Studies
Voter Minute