Proposition 194 Unemployment Benefits

A seemingly innocuous ballot measure meant to keep a few hundred ex-convicts from collecting jobless benefits has ignited a federal and state conflict that unintentionally could cause California unemployment taxes to skyrocket. State officials have been scrambling for a way to resolve the issue ever since U.S. Department of Labor officials advised them that the measure known as Proposition 194 violates federal law and could put California's unemployment program in jeopardy if it passes.

A seemingly innocuous ballot measure meant to keep a few hundred ex-convicts from collecting jobless benefits has ignited a federal and state conflict that unintentionally could cause California unemployment taxes to skyrocket. State officials have been scrambling for a way to resolve the issue ever since U.S. Department of Labor officials advised them that the measure known as Proposition 194 violates federal law and could put California's unemployment program in jeopardy if it passes.

In what is shaping up to be a boom year for California's initiative industry, promoters of so-called direct democracy have submitted a dizzying array of measures for next year's statewide ballots. Many voters already know that they most likely will be called on to decide whether to end affirmative action in government hiring, contracting and college admissions next November.