Eminent Domain Report

The California redevelopment circus continues today, as California's Secretary of State approved two potential referendums for the 2012 ballot.  One involves rural homeowners and payments for fire services; for our purposes, it's not very exciting (and since I'm pretty sure I don't live in a rural area, I'm not going to join that fray). 

But the other one is more interesting.  It's a proposal promoted by eminent domain opponent Marko Mlikotin to overturn AB X1 27.  For those who have trouble keeping score with all the bill numbers, this is the one that allows California's redevelopment agencies to avoid extinction by paying money back to the State (the payments the CRA challenges as "extortion" and a violation of Proposition 22.) 

In other words, assuming Mlikotin can collect the 504,760 signatures required over the next two months, California's voters will have the opportunity to overturn the bill that allows redevelopment agencies to stay alive, but (at least so far), not the ability to overturn the bill that eliminates them, AB X1 26.

Of course, by the time the state-wide election occurs in 2012, the Supreme Court likely will have ruled on the CRA's lawsuit, which, if successful, could render the referendum moot.  (Would we still have to vote on it if it qualifies for the ballot before the Supreme Court acts?)