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Rules Committee continues charter amendment that would allow amendments or repeal of voter measures
Summary
The San Francisco Rules Committee continued discussion of a charter amendment proposed by Supervisor Scott Wiener that would let the city amend or repeal certain initiative ordinances and declarations of policy, with the measure made prospective and set to take effect Jan. 1, 2012; the committee set a continuance for further review.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on June 16 continued debate over a proposed charter amendment from Supervisor Scott Wiener that would permit the city to amend or repeal certain initiative ordinances and policy declarations.
Wiener presented an amendment that removes voter-initiated (signature-drive) initiatives from the proposal and makes the change purely prospective, saying the amendment would take effect Jan. 1, 2012 and apply only to measures placed on the ballot by the mayor or board and adopted by voters on or after that date. "This amendment makes the Charter Amendment purely prospective," Wiener said. "It will take effect January 1, 2012." He asked the committee to continue the item so members and the public can review the revisions.
The measure drew sustained public comment in opposition. Kathy Pick said the proposal could affect "about 64 ordinances and 39 declarations of policy" adopted over recent decades and urged caution, listing examples including planning code section 101.1 and various propositions. Calvin Welch of the San Francisco Information Clearing House said the record does not show an increase in initiative ordinances and suggested raising the board threshold to six supervisors to place measures on the ballot. Jake McGoldrick called the proposal "an assault on our democratic process," emphasizing that the will of the voters is "sacrosanct." Mark Solomon warned that procedural barriers can reduce citizen participation and urged mechanisms that return matters to voters.
Wiener told the committee he had already removed signature-drive initiatives from the proposal and made other amendments to address concerns. In an exchange about past actions, Wiener said he would review specific legislative history referenced by commenters and invited dialogue with speakers who opposed the proposal.
After discussion and public comment, the committee voted without opposition to continue the item to a subsequent Rules Committee meeting so members can further consider Wiener's amendments and receive additional input. Chair Jane Kim invited members of the public to consult with Wiener’s office before the next committee hearing.
The committee did not adopt the amendment or take a final vote on the charter change; the item was continued for further consideration.
