California Prohibition of Sterilization Initiative (2008)

Not on Ballot
This measure was not put on an election ballot

The Prohibition of Sterilization Initiative (07-0063) was shooting for the November 2008 general election ballot in California as an initiated constitutional amendment. Its supporters would have had to turn in 694,354 valid signatures to make the November ballot. However, the California Secretary of State announced on May 2, 2008 that the measure had failed to qualify.

The objective of the initiative was to amend the California Constitution to prohibit enactment or enforcement of any law requiring or coercing by any means, including financial penalty, sexual sterilization of any human or animal.

Estimated fiscal impact of the measure

Fiscal impact estimate as provided by California's Legislative Analyst office:

Short-term savings to local governments because of the elimination of spay and neuter enforcement and surgery costs, offset in the long-term by unknown, but potentially significant, increased costs to operate shelters and provide animal control services to an increased dog and cat population. Unknown, but potentially significant loss of local government animal control revenue, because jurisdictions will no longer be able to charge a higher license or adoption fee for unaltered animals than for animals that are spayed or neutered. Potential avoidance of state costs of a few tens of thousands of dollars annually associated with the prohibition of chemical castration of certain prisoners upon their parole.

External links

• Ballot Summary (dead link)