We are a group of Novato, California residents and supporters concerned about the large presence of illegal immigrants in our community and the jobs they take. We are alarmed by the erosion of the rule of law, which is demonstrated by the federal and local governments' decision that they do not have to enforce laws they disagree with, like immigration laws. We wrote a citizens’ initiative and gathered the required number of signatures and, according to California Elections Code, the Novato City Council must either make our initiative the law or put our initiative on the ballot.
At their June 22 meeting, City Council members decided to take no action on the initiative, to neither make it law nor put it on the ballot for voters. The Novato City Council has denied voters' their rights by ignoring the CLEC initiative! Once again, a government acts as though it can ignore laws it does not like.
Novato City Council violates the California Elections Code
At their June 22, 2010 meeting, City Council members decided to take no action on the initiative, to neither make it law nor put it on the ballot for voters. The Novato City Council has denied voters' their rights by ignoring the CLEC initiative!
Read an article about the Council's decision and our statement.
CLEC addressed the Novato City Council three times before we launched the initiative.
- In our third presentation to the Council, on July 28, 2009, we reiterated our request that the Council adopt our ordinance,
or something like it, or we will launch a petition to get the citizens' initiative on the November 2, 2010 Novato ballot.
- In our second presentation to the Council, on June 23, 2009, we presented the Council with a proposed ordinance and our request that they adopt it.
- In our first presentation to the Council, on May 12, 2009, we introduced our group and our goals with this letter.