Election Law
Californians have important rights under the California Constitution to enact laws through the initiative process, and, through the use of the referendum process, to accept or reject ordinances and other legislative actions that their city councils and boards of supervisors enact.
Carstens, Black & Minteer (CBM) advises clients on the use of initiative and referenda to manage growth and protect communities. CBM has also been involved in suits over the use of such processes, most recently in San Francisco, where CBM successfully helped local groups defeat an effort to keep off the ballot an initiative measure to control waterfront development.
Additional examples of our work with initiatives and referenda include:
Practicing in these areas, CBM helps its clients protect California’s natural environment, cultural and historic resources, and the quality of life in communities throughout California.
Carstens, Black & Minteer (CBM) advises clients on the use of initiative and referenda to manage growth and protect communities. CBM has also been involved in suits over the use of such processes, most recently in San Francisco, where CBM successfully helped local groups defeat an effort to keep off the ballot an initiative measure to control waterfront development.
Additional examples of our work with initiatives and referenda include:
- CBM advised Hermosa Beach Stop Oil Coalition in drafting and defending Proposition E, which prohibits oil drilling in the coastal city of Hermosa Beach. After the City failed to enforce Proposition E, on behalf of our clients, we obtained a court ruling declaring the initiative to be valid and requiring the City to enforce the ban on oil drilling. (Hermosa Beach Stop Oil Coalition v. Hermosa Beach (2001) 86 Cal.App.4th 534.)
- CBM represented Coalition for a Better Inglewood in opposing an effort by Walmart to pass an initiative that would allow them to circumvent normal city environmental review when constructing a supercenter in the City of Inglewood. CBM sued over the validity of the initiative, but prior to a ruling on the merits in the litigation, the initiative was defeated 2-1 at the ballot box, thus mooting the lawsuit.
- CBM advised the Newport Beach Greenlight Steering Committee in ensuring the city adopted appropriate guidelines to implement the Greenlight Initiative (a smart growth initiative that the Greenlight Steering Committee had earlier helped to pass). The Greenlight Steering Committee sought to ensure that the adopted guidelines accurately reflected the intent of the voters to control growth when they overwhelmingly voted to adopt the initiative. Through our client’s efforts and with CBM’s assistance, the city adopted satisfactory guidelines.
Practicing in these areas, CBM helps its clients protect California’s natural environment, cultural and historic resources, and the quality of life in communities throughout California.