California voters hit the polls Tuesday; El Dorado County vote includes ballot measures

The California State Primary is Tuesday, June 7, and there are a few local items on the ballot.

The following are summaries of what voters on the lake side of El Dorado County will be voting on. If people are unsure of their polling place, visit this site, input your address and birthdate: http://elections.edcgov.us/lookup.fwx

A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of amending the El Dorado County Charter Preamble from:

"We, the people of El Dorado County, with our geographical and cultural diversity, adopt this charter to provide a local government responsive to our social, economic, physical and environmental needs and goals in a democratic, just and efficient manner." to:

"We, the people of El Dorado County, adopt the charter to provide a county government that is responsive to the public safety, infrastructure and other appropriate needs as to be provided by county government in a democratic and just manner.

The people expect that the business of the county will be conducted using equitable methods and that the results shall benefit no individual or group(s) of individuals to the detriment of the people."

A "no" vote is a vote against amending the current El Dorado County Charter Preamble.

Measure E - An initiative seeking to enact or reinstate certain restrictions and policies concerning roads and traffic congestion, especially traffic issues related to new development, will be on the ballot.

A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of enacting certain restrictions and policies concerning roads and traffic congestion designed to restrict commercial and residential developments that could negatively affect traffic.

A "no" vote is a vote against enacting certain restrictions and policies concerning roads and traffic congestion designed to restrict commercial and residential developments that could negatively affect traffic.

If passed, Measure E would reverse a law passed by voters in 2008 that gave the county board of supervisors the power to authorize additional roads for high-traffic congestion if four out of five supervisors approved of the change. From 1998 to 2008, only the voters could add roads to the high-traffic list, and this initiative would make this the case again.

It would also rescind a 2008 law allowing supervisors to use taxpayer funds to pay for road construction to encourage or supply access to new developments, and it would restore a prohibition against single-family developments of five or more units that worsen traffic.

This initiative, which was backed by slow-growth activists, was designed to reduce the amount of new development in the county and preserve rural and agricultural areas. Those against include people with business, development and ranching interests including the county's wine association, Chambers of Commerce and the farm bureau.

Measure G - An initiative concerning zoning and land use policies, it is also known as 'Reinstate Measure Y' and would many policies found in the 2004 General Plan. It was proposed by slow-growth advocates and would prohibit new commercial and residential development if they lack existing water supplies or the ability to connect to existing public water systems. Passing would restrict development near agricultural areas, and would protect “scenic corridors” and “vista points," especially along Highway 50, an area eyed by developers for new projects.

The same groups backing Measure E are also backing Measure G.

Measure J - This could be considered cleaning up of the county charter by removing items no longer valid. This is a charter amendment question concerning the removal of an obsolete section of the county charter. A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of removing a section of the county charter that was made obsolete by a state law approved by voters in 1996.

There is one ballot measure for the state on this ballot, with more on the November ballot.

Proposition 50 - The California Suspension of Legislators Amendment. A "yes" vote is a vote in favor of a constitutional amendment designed to require a two-thirds vote in the respective chamber of the state legislature in order to suspend a state legislator.

On March 28, 2014, the California Senate voted to suspend Ron Calderon (D-30), Roderick Wright (D-35) and Leland Yee (D-8) until all criminal proceedings against them were dismissed. The three were involved in separate criminal cases. Before the March 28, 2014, suspensions, the California Legislature had never before suspended a member in its 164-year history.

The Legislative Counsel noted that the Senate had the authority to suspend the three, but could not suspend their salaries or benefits. The annual salary of the senators, at the time of their suspensions, was approximately $90,000.

Judges - El Dorado County has two judges on the ballot Nelson Keith Brooks, the incumbent, and Roland Tiemann, the challenger.

Primary Election:

State Senate 1st District - Ted Gaines, incumbent against Steven Baird and Rob Rowen

State Assembly 5th District - Frank Bigelow, incumbent against Mark Belden and Robert Carabas

U.S. House of Representatives for District 4 - Incumbent Tom McClintock against challengers Bob Derlet, and Sean White.

U.S. Senate- This seat will be open following the retirement of incumbent Barbara Boxer (D). Thirty-four candidates filed to run to replace Boxer, including seven Democrats, 12 Republicans, and 15 third-party candidates. In California, all candidates run in the same primary and the top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general election. The candidates are as follows: President Cristina Grappo (D), Kamala Harris (D), Massie Munroe (D), Herbert Peters (D), Emory Rodgers (D), Loretta Sanchez (D), Steve Stokes (D), Greg Conlon (R), Tom Del Beccaro (R), Von Hougo (R), Don Krampe (R), Jerry Laws (R), Tom Palzer (R), Karen Roseberry (R), Duf Sundheim (R), Ron Unz (R), Jarrell Williamson (R), Phil Wyman (R), George Yang (R), Pamela Elizondo (G), Mark Matthew Herd (L), Gail Lightfoot (L), John Thompson Parker (Peace and Freedom), Mike Beitiks (I), Eleanor Garcia (I), Tim Gildersleeve (I), Clive Grey (I), Don Grundmann (I), Jason Hanania (I), Jason Kraus (I), Paul Merritt (I), Gar Myers (I), Ling Ling Shi (I), and Scott Vineberg (I).

President of the United States - In California's Democratic primary, 475 pledged delegates are at stake, more than any other state in the 2016 Democratic nominating season. California's delegate haul represents almost 20 percent of the 2,383 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination and almost 12 percent of the 4,038 pledged delegates up for grabs in 2016.

There are dozens of Presidential candidates on the ballot including Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nominee, and Donald Trump for the Republican nominee.