[Noozhawk’s note: We republish news articles and commentaries from CalMatters on state and local policy issues that affect Santa Barbara County readers.] California adopted the initiative system — allowing proposed laws to bypass the Legislature and be placed on the ballot via petition — in 1911, but until the 1970s it was scantily used. Since 1971, no […]
Dan Walters, CalMatters Columnist
Award-winning CalMatters columnist Dan Walters has been covering California politics, economics, and social and demographic trends from Sacramento since 1975. He is the author of The New California: Facing the 21st Century and co-author of The Third House: Lobbyists, Money and Power in Sacramento. The opinions expressed are his own.
