SB 163, Hertzberg “Vote-from-Home” bill, faces Appropriations Committee hearing on May 4th

SB 163, a bill that could radically change the composition of the voting electorate in California, is up for a aye or nay vote on Monday, May 4^th, at a hearing of the California State Senate Appropriations Committee in the State Capitol set to commence at 11:00 am  Pacific Daylight Time in the John L. Burton Hearing Room (Room 4203)

Earlier articles in Etopia News ("Bill to provide all voters with “absentee ballots”moves forward in California State Senate" and "OC RoV Kelley’s estimate sets cost of SB 163 at around 40 million dollars") have highlighted aspects of this under-reported-upon legislation, which would require each California county to provide an absentee ballot to each registered voter therein. 

Ray Sotero, Communications Director for California State Senator Robert M. Hertzberg (D-18^th), author of this bill, told Etopia News on Friday that the counties already send sample ballots to all registered voters and that under SB 163 those deliveries would also include a mail-in/absentee ballot, thereby saving money overall.

According to Jennifer Douglas, an Appropriations Committee staff assistant, the results of the committee's financial and other research findings will be available outside the hearing room “ten or fifteen minutes before” the start of the hearing at 11:00 am.

Hertzberg, formerly the Speaker of the California State Assembly and a solar entrepreneur, believes that his plan will lead to a more representative democracy and give the people a greater voice in their own governance.

Here is a list of Senate Appropriations Committee members:

Senator Ricardo Lara (Chair) Senator Patricia Bates (Vice Chair) Senator Jim Beall Senator Jerry Hill Senator Connie Leyva Senator Tony Mendoza Senator Jim Nielsen