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California voter turnout last week was the lowest in the last 25 years. Only 7.2 million votes were cast for Governor last Tuesday. By comparison, in the last gubernatorial race in 2018 and the recall election in 2021, over 12 million Californians went to the polls each time.

This is big news for anyone trying to qualify an initiative in California.

Most people are unaware of exactly how initiatives work. California law permits citizens to circulate an initiative petition to place a proposition on the ballot of the next general election. To qualify, the proponents must obtain a certain number of verified signatures from registered voters. If the proposed initiative modifies an existing law or statute or proposes a new law or statute, then the proponents must obtain valid signatures equal 5% of the number of persons who voted in the last gubernatorial election. If the initiative amends the California State Constitution in whole or in part, then the proponents must gather valid signatures equal to 8% of the number of votes cast for Governor in the last general election.

Required Signatures Drops from 1 Million to 600,000

Because the Educational Freedom Act Initiative will partially amend the California Constitution, we must gather the larger percentage, 8%. On the morning of election day, that number was just slightly under 1 million signatures. By the following morning, that number dropped to approximately 600,000!

The Campaign is now 40% Cheaper!

The significance is obvious. It will be 40% easier and cheaper to qualify our initiative for the 2024 ballot. This is no small matter in a state the size of California.

The continuing decline of the quality of instruction in government schools in California ensures that the demand for parent control over the education of their children will increase. School Choice and parent empowerment will be the biggest issues in California in the next election.

Parents are on the warpath.

Speaking of which, the results of school board elections throughout the state were all but ignored in post-election reporting. In the aftermath of the mid-term elections, the total focus of news coverage was the impact on the political fortunes of the national parties and the 2024 presidential candidates. In school board race after school board race, however, incumbents resigned or were defeated by a new wave of parents and citizen candidates who reject radical sexual and political indoctrination of their children and are determined to end the tyrannical control of public education by the teachers’ unions and special interests.

It will not be easy to undo the damage done to public education in the last 50 years, but it can be done. The best way to begin is to restore control over the education of their children by empowering them to decide where their children will go to school.

Here are the key Four Points of our School Choice initiative:

Educational Freedom Act Initiative

An Education Savings Account (“ESA”) will be established for each K-12 child in California on request.
Each year, that account will be credited with the student’s share of what are known as Prop 98 funds. That share will begin at $15,000 per year per student.
The parent will be able to direct the ESA trust funds to a participating, accredited private or parochial school. The money will follow the student not the politicians.
Any unspent funds will accumulate and can be spent on college, vocational training, or other qualified educational expense.

Our proposal is both simple and revolutionary. Once enacted, California schools will go from being among the worst schools in America to being the best. Once again, California will lead the way. We Californians will lead. We will define the future. America is in our hands.

We will start gathering signatures early in 2023. Now is the time to get involved.
GET COMMITTED

DONATE NOW! The average member of the California Teachers' Association pays at least $1,000 per year in dues. Are you as committed as they are? One-time donations are great. Consider making it a monthly donation.

Michael Alexander
http://www.californiaschoolchoice.org/