High Court Won’t Bar Vote on Gann Pay Curb

The California Supreme Court today rejected without comment efforts by three Los Angeles County officials to yank the Paul Gann pay limitation initiative off the November ballot.

A challenge to the constitutionality of the initiative was filed directly to the court two weeks ago.

The court’s refusal to hear the appeal will allow the initiative to be placed before voters in November.

The ballot initiative, variously called the Gann Initiative and the Fair Pay Initiative, seeks to limit the pay for all state officials from the governor down.

The challenge was made by Los Angeles County Sheriff Sherman Block, Fire Chief John Englund and Medical Director Sol Bernstein.

The suit charged the initiative would discriminate against older employees and unconstitutionally violate due process rights by depriving public officials of property in the form of salaries and pensions.

The proposal would bar state workers from accumulating sick leave and vacation time.

Challengers have argued it will create chaos in the weeks after its passage by prompting large numbers of early retirements among older employees faced with a cut in pensions. Many other employees with saved sick time or vacation time would have to be paid or take the time immediately after the passage of the initiative.

The initiative would limit the governor’s salary to $80,000 a year, down from the $85,000 annually set to go into effect next Jan. 1. The governor is currently paid $49,100.

Public officials would be limited to salaries not more than 80% of the governor’s salary--$64,000--under the initiative.