The California Supreme Court has ruled a 2014 proposition it held off the ballot was constitutional, even though it had no legal effect. The court says lawmakers can try again.
The state Legislature passed Proposition 49 in 2014, to ask voters whether the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling should be overturned.
Conservative opponents saw a ploy to drive liberal turnout. The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association sued, arguing ballot measures have to enact some change to state law. The California Supreme Court pulled the measure from the ballot while they considered.
Six justices agreed that Proposition 49 was legal, with five of them ruling that the Legislature can generally ask non-binding questions. The court says that fits with their prerogative to seek input from citizens.
Still, lawmakers passed Prop 49 for the 2014 ballot, so if they still want to ask the question, the court says they’ll need to vote it through again.
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