November ballot gets crowded

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A slew of initiative proposals qualified for the November ballot just before today’s constitutional deadline. One measure, an effort to restore the Legislature’s ability to draw congressional districts, has until midnight to qualify and may yet be on the ballot this fall.

Among the measures that will be before voters are a proposal to lower the vote threshold for state lawmakers to pass a budget. Currently, a two-thirds vote is required in both houses. This measure would make the budget vote a simple majority vote. Other measures that qualified today include a measure backed by the California Teachers Assn. to repeal about $2 billion worth of tax breaks for corporations -- tax breaks that are scheduled to go into effect next month.

Also qualifying was a Chamber of Commerce-backed measure that would require a two-thirds vote by lawmakers to raise fees instead of a simple majority.

In all, nine measures have qualified for the November ballot. If the redistricting measure backed by congressional Democrats qualifies, that would make 10. Another proposal to change the state’s term-limits law will probably be on the June 2012 ballot.