The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals rejected the free speech argument that sponsors of initiative should be allowed to remain anonymous. The court ruled that although sponsors’ names are in elections records, voters must have that information before them when deciding whether to sign. It also ruled that the sponsors be registered voters. The case involved a challenge mounted in Chula Vista, California. (San Francisco Chronicle, April 3, 2015, by Bob Elgelko)
Citizens brought the federal lawsuit to challenge the city in their rejection of Proposition G, a measure to keep the city from agreements requiring contractors to pay workers a prevailing wage. The court said putting sponsors names on initiatives does not materially violate their freedom of speech. (Courthouse News Service, April 3, 2015, by William Dotinga)