House Of Commons.

HOUSE OF COMMONS. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Creates House of Commons composed of all registered voters divided into constituent groups not exceeding 500, assigned by residence. Legislative measures that increase or decrease taxes or are deemed of state-wide importance by Legislature require a majority vote of constituent groups. Similar measures affecting local government require majority vote of affected constituent groups. Absentee voting permitted. Preserves constitutional limitation on ad valorem real property taxation. Repeals governmental spending limits, constitutionally required reimbursement of local jurisdictions for state-mandated costs, two-thirds vote of Legislature for state tax increases, two-thirds voter approval for local special tax increases. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Initiative will result in increased costs to the General Fund beginning 1990-91 for ongoing expense of operating statewide House of Commons and reimbursing local entities for meetings, including five to eight million dollars per statewide meeting for rental of facilities. Start-up costs of several million dollars are estimated for 1990-91. Repeal of government spending limit may result in increased overall government spending and reduced funding for K-14 school districts to the extent that they would have been allocated a share of excess revenue. Repeal of constitutional provision for reimbursement of state-mandated costs may result in state savings of up to $200 million annually and similar local government revenue loss if Legislature does not maintain reimbursement funding