California's $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Countdown: No Big Jump Today

New totals tonight show slight progress in the drive to rescue the financially strapped California stem cell agency, adding only 6,717 signatures to qualify a $5.5 billion measure for the November ballot.   

It needs 623,212 valid signatures. Backers submitted 924,183 "raw" signatures. State election officials reported late today that the proposal now has 98,159 valid or projected valid signatures of registered voters. 

The signature disqualification rate remains at about 22 percent. 

Large counties such as Los Angeles and San Diego have not yet reported on their verification efforts. The state deadline for counties to report their figures to the state is June 24 -- 20 business days away. 

The stem cell agency is running out of cash and will begin closing its doors next fall unless it receives a substantial infusion of cash.

Look for an updated count tomorrow evening or early Friday morning right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

California's $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Countdown: Nearly 15 Percent Along the Path Towards a Rescue

The latest figures on the effort to save the financially strapped California stem cell agency show that it is 14.7 percent along the way to placing a $5.5 billion rescue measure on the November ballot. 

State election officials reported late yesterday that the proposal now has  91,442 valid or projected valid signatures of registered voters. It needs 623,212 valid signatures and has submitted 924,183 "raw" signatures. 

The signature disqualification rate stands at about 22 percent. 

Large counties such as Los Angeles and San Diego have not yet reported on their verification efforts. The state deadline for counties to report their figures to the state is June 24 -- 20 business days away. 

The stem cell agency is running out of cash and will begin closing its doors next fall unless it receives a substantial infusion of cash.

(Editor's note: An earlier version of this item incorrectly stated that the disqualification rate was 78 percent. It is 22 percent. The percentage of signatures that have been qualified stands at 78 percent.)

The $5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Countdown: One-Thirteenth Along the Way

Supporters of a $5.5 billion, proposed ballot initiative this morning are 13.3 percent along the way to qualifying the measure for the November ballot and possibly saving the California stem cell agency from financial extinction. 

The proposal now has 82,723 valid or projected valid signatures of registered voters, which state election officials say is the key category. The measure needs 623,212 in signatures in that category to qualify.

The total of "raw," unverified signatures statewide is 924,183.  At this point, only 77.57 percent of the signatures are valid. But major counties such Los Angeles and San Diego have not yet completed their validation process. 

Twenty-two of the state's 58 counties have reported their counts. The  highest number of valid signatures has come from Sacramento with 26,761. The lowest number is from Modoc with four. 

The stem cell agency was created by California voters in 2004 when they approved a ballot initiative that also provided it with $3 billion of borrowed money but no other funding. The agency is running out of cash and will begin closing its doors next fall unless more substantial funding is forthcoming. 

Look for an update on the count Tuesday evening or early Wednesday right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

Editor's note: An earlier version of this item incorrectly stated that Mono County had the lowest number of valid signatures. It was actually Modoc.

$5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Countdown: Total Raw Signatures Now in With 924,213

One key step is now complete in the effort to qualify a $5.5 billion stem cell initiative for the November ballot in California and save its stem cell research program from running out of money.

The "raw" count of signature is finished with a total of 924,213, according to state election officials. That is almost exactly the same as the 925,000 figure that  campaign backers said they had submitted weeks ago.

The proposed ballot measure needs 623,212 valid signatures of registered voters to qualify. The count of valid or projected valid signatures stands at 75,484 as of late yesterday afternoon. The rate of rejected signatures is running at 22 percent. 

A number of populous counties have yet to report on their validation figures including Los Angeles, with 298,147 raw signatures, and San Diego, with 99,899. 

Counties have until June 24 to complete their count.

Look for an update later today or early tomorrow on the count right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

$5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Countdown: No Significant Changes Today

California election officials this afternoon reported no significant changes to the count to determine whether a $5.5 billion stem cell ballot initiative will qualify for the November ballot. 

Here are the results as of 4:55 p.m. PDT today:

Raw signature count -- Unchanged at 917,722, San Mateo County still not reporting

Valid signatures -- 5,202, up from 3,803 yesterday

Disqualification rate of signatures -- Nearly 23 percent, down from 24 percent yesterday

The proposal needs 623,212 valid signatures of registered voters to qualify for the ballot. The proposal is aimed at refinancing the California stem cell agency, which is running out of money. 

$5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Countdown: Proposal Inches Towards Ballot

Efforts to place a $5.5 billion stem cell measure on California's November ballot edged slowly ahead yesterday with a slight increase in the number of valid voter signatures, which are critical to qualifying the proposal for presentation to voters. 

The proposal, which is aimed at saving the financial life of the state stem cell agency, needs 623,212 valid signatures of registered voters to make the ballot. Tuesday's total was 71,873, up from 45,407 the previous day. 

The total of unverified, raw signatures was unchanged at 917,722. Only one county, San Mateo, has not reported its raw totals.

The overall rejection rate for signatures stood at 23 percent, also nearly unchanged. Disqualification rates are higher in the more populous counties so far. If campaign has actually submitted 925,000 signatures, as it has claimed, it will need a disqualification rate statewide of no more than 32.6 percent to reach the required number. 

Without an infusion of substantial cash, the stem cell agency, which is running out of money, will begin closing its doors next fall.

County officials have until June 24 to complete their validation of signatures and submit the figures to the state. 

Look for an update on the signature count this evening or early tomorrow right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

The $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Count: A Bright Spot and a Not-So-Bright Spot

The effort to save the $3 billion California stem cell agency from financial extinction received some bad news and some good news late today, both of which could be expected. 

At stake is whether a $5.5 billion bond measure will be placed on the November ballot. The funds would be used to refinance the agency, which is running out of money and will begin closing its doors beginning next fall without an infusion of cash.

Qualifying the measure for the ballot requires 623,212 valid signatures of registered voters.  

Late today, the updated count of "raw," unvalidated signatures rose to 917,222 from 824,777 last Friday. The campaign for the ballot initiative has said it submitted 925,000 signatures to county election officials. Only one county, San Mateo, has not yet completed its raw count. 

The bad news is that the interim percentage of invalid signatures now stands at 24 percent, up from 18 percent. It is common to see large percentages of signatures disqualified during the verification process, sometimes as high as 50 percent. 

Today's rate rose because Sacramento reported that it disqualified 25.2 percent of the 35,792 raw signatures turned in by the campaign, The statewide rate will change as more counties report their validation numbers.

If campaign has actually submitted 925,000 signatures, it will need a disqualification rate statewide of no more than 32.6 percent to reach the required number. 

County officials have until June 24 to complete their validation of signatures and submit the figures to the state. 

Look for an update on the signature count Tuesday evening or early Wednesday right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

The $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Count: Stagnant at 824,777 'Raw' Signatures

The signature count to determine whether a $5.5 billion stem cell research initiative will come before California voters next fall remains unchanged this morning at 824,777 "raw" signatures. 

Also stagnant is the number of valid signatures -- 12,440. 

The proposal needs 623,212 valid signatures to qualify, but many of the "raw" signatures are likely to be disqualified. Only those from registered voters are accepted. The current disqualification rate is running at 18 percent, according to state election officials.  That rate involves smaller counties and could change. Also changing will be the number of valid signatures as county officials wade through the petitions. 

The raw total this morning is up from 760,601 earlier in the week. The campaign says it has submitted 925,000 "raw" signatures to county election officials. 

Known officially as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state agency is running out of the $3 billion provided by voters in 2004. It will begin shuttering its doors late this year without a financial infusion. 

Look for an update on the signature count Monday evening right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

The $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Count: Latest Report Climbs to 824,777 'Raw' Signatures

The latest count in the race to save California's stem cell research program from financial extinction shows that its backers have chalked up 824,777 "raw" signatures in their effort to place a $5.5 billion proposal on the November ballot. 

The number this morning is up from 760,601 yesterday. The proposal needs only 623,212 valid signatures to qualify, but many of the "raw" signatures are likely to be disqualified. Only those from registered voters are accepted. The current disqualification rate is running at 18 percent, according to state election officials.  That rate involves smaller counties and could change. 

The campaign says it has submitted 925,000 signatures to county election officials. 

This morning's increase in signatures reflects the addition of signatures from Orange County and less populous areas. Still to be heard from are San Bernardino and San Mateo. Officials in California's 58 counties have until June 24 to complete verification of signatures. 

Known officially as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state agency is running out the $3 billion provided by voters in 2004. It will begin shuttering its doors late this year without a financial infusion. 

Look for an update on the signature count this evening or early tomorrow right here on the California Stem Cell Report. 

The $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Count: No New Figures Today

California elections officials late this afternoon reported no new totals for the number of signatures gathered to place a $5.5 billion stem initiative on the November ballot. Backers of the ballot measure also have not responded to a query earlier today concerning their take on the signature verification. 

Skating Past Deadlines: $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Campaign Silent on Critically Needed Signatures

Backers of a $5.5 billion stem cell research proposal this week dodged past another critical, but self-imposed deadline for placing the measure before California voters. They eliminated it. 

It was the fourth deadline that the campaign has either missed or eliminated. The move came as the campaign itself has noted.

"Time is running out."

The ballot initiative -- if it makes the fall ballot and is approved by voters -- would save the state stem cell agency from financial extinction. Originally funded in 2004 with $3 billion in borrowed state money, the agency is expected to be down to its last $26 million by the end of the day today. Formally known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the agency is expected to award $1.0 million this morning for Covid-19 research. 

The campaign is seeking 950,000 signatures of registered voters to qualify its initiative for the ballot. As of early this month, it said it had 915,000 but has remained mum since then on the number of signatures it has gathered. 

Legally, the measure needs 623,212 signatures of registered voters. Typically, however, a high percentage of signatures collected for initiatives are disqualified, sometimes as high as 50 percent. 

State election officials recommend that the signature petitions be submitted to election officials in 58 counties by April 21 to allow officials to perform the time-consuming work of verifying hundreds of thousands of signature. County election offices, however, are hard hit by stay-at-home, Covid-19 restrictions affecting their operations. If the verification work is not completed by June 15, the initiative will not be placed on the ballot. 

The campaign has laid out its changing deadlines on a web page exhorting supporters to engage in an unusual Internet and mail-in petition effort. Earlier this week, after the campaign missed its third deadline, wording on the page was changed to remove a specific date. As of this writing, the latest "deadline"  exhortation said, 

"The campaign must gather the last 35,000 signatures through mail-in submissions ASAP."

On Wednesday, the campaign told the California Stem Cell Report it would be submitting petitions to county officials "in the next two weeks." The campaign did not respond this morning by the time of this writing to questions about the signature-gathering effort. However, one Santa Barbara resident told us that he received a petition packet this morning in standard postal mail from the campaign asking him to sign the petition and return it to the campaign. 

(As this item was being posted, the campaign emailed a response concerning the status of its signature-gathering. However, the statement only repeated what the campaign said days earlier and did not contain any new information.)

Supporters of $5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Measure Miss Third Deadline, Including One Recommended by the State

Backers of a $5.5 billion, California stem cell research proposal this morning once again missed their self-imposed, but important deadline for qualifying the measure for the ballot this fall in hopes of saving the financial life of the state stem cell agency. 

It was the third time that the ballot initiative campaign has missed its own deadlines for gathering signatures as time is running out. The first deadline was April 11. The second deadline was April 18. The third deadline was April 21 (yesterday). The next deadline is April 23 (tomorrow).

Yesterday was also the deadline recommended by state election officials for submitting the signatures to all of California's 58 counties.  The state's recommendation is not a legal cutoff, but appears aimed at ensuring enough time exists to complete the lengthy certification process for the November ballot.

The proposed ballot initiative would refinance the state stem cell agency, known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). It is running out of its original $3 billion and is expected to begin closing its doors next fall. 

The campaign, which is independent of the agency, had little to say about its signature-gathering problems. The California Stem Cell Report this morning asked the campaign how many signatures it has on hand.  Sarah Melbostad, a spokeswoman for the campaign, replied:

"They are still in the process of counting them but we will let you know as soon as we have an updated number to share."

It was not clear whether the campaign actually knows how many signatures it currently has or whether, on the other hand, it has an actual number but is simply not releasing it publicly. The campaign did not respond to a question this morning on that matter. 

Several weeks ago, the campaign said it had 915,000 signatures. That was when it set its April 11 deadline to secure 35,000 more. It needs only 623,212 to qualify for the ballot, but many signatures are disqualified as elections official in each county checks to see whether the signatures represent actual registered voters. 

Melbostad said, 

"We’re continuing to get petitions in the mail every day from our patient advocacy-driven and direct-mail signature gathering efforts. The campaign is planning to submit signatures to the counties in the next two weeks to ensure that the counties and the state have sufficient time to count and verify signatures for the November ballot."

If election officials have not certified the necessary signatures by June 15, the stem cell measure will not appear on the ballot. The certification process can be prolonged and likely more so under the difficult conditions imposed by the coronavirus crisis. 

State election officials provide recommended deadlines under normal conditions for submitting petitions to qualify ballot measures. They depend on the method used for qualification: random sampling or "full check." Under the random sample method, the recommendation is to submit petitions to county election officials by yesterday (April 21). Under the full check method, March 3 was the recommended deadline. 

Two Deadlines Missed by Supporters of $5.5 Billion, California Stem Cell Measure

Backers of a $5.5 billion stem cell research proposal in California today have once again missed a self-imposed, but critical deadline as they continue to struggle with securing enough signatures to place the measure on the November ballot.

The campaign's website this morning listed what is now its third deadline for gathering the signatures of 950,000 voters. Previously, the campaign had set an April 11 deadline and then an April 18 deadline. The latest deadline is tomorrow (April 21). The rolling extensions do not augur well for its "unprecedented" attempt to collect signatures via a combined online and mail-in effort. 

In response to questions from the California Stem Cell Report, Sarah Melbostad, a spokeswoman for the campaign, declined to elaborate on the campaign's progress or lack of it beyond a statement she released on Friday.

The questions ranged from just how many signatures the campaign currently has in hand to when they might be presented to election officials. (Here is a link to the text of all the questions.)

The campaign's ballot initiative is aimed at staving off the financial demise of California's stem cell agency, which has all but run out of the $3 billion that it was provided by voters in 2004, also through a ballot initiative.  Known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the agency has no other significant funding source than state-issued bonds.

The coronavirus crisis has blocked the usual method of gathering of ballot initiative signatures at shopping malls and other public locations. The campaign said earlier it needed another 35,000 signatures to hit its goal of 950,000. The legal requirement is only 623,212 but many signatures are disqualified as invalid, sometimes as high as 50 percent.

Another obstacle involves officials in the state's 58 counties, who must certify the signatures. Most, if not all, are short-staffed because of the coronavirus and/or must provide a working environment that is likely to slow the signature count. If the count is not completed by June 15, the stem cell measure will not be on the November ballot and the agency will begin closing its doors.

Text of Questions to Campaign for $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Intiative

Here are the questions that the campaign for a $5.5 billion California stem cell research measure declined to address this morning. The questions were directed to the campaign by the California Stem Cell Report last Friday in connection with the campaign's then April 18 deadline for collecting signatures to qualify the measure for the fall ballot. 

• How many signatures have been gathered for presentation to election officials? Is that number based on an estimate or actual count?
• The campaign has said it has "no estimates to share." Does that mean that, in fact, it has estimates that it does not want to share? Is the campaign keeping a rolling total of signatures each day since it began its new mail-in effort?
• When will the petitions be presented to election officials?
• How long does the campaign think the count will take?
• Does the campaign plan to try to gather more signatures either beginning this week or after it receives information about the disqualification rate?
• Is there anything else I need to know?

Coronavirus Fallout: New and Bigger Hurdles Now Face $5.5 Billion California Stem Cell Measure

California's intensifying battle against the coronavirus is creating ever larger obstacles and uncertainty concerning the proposed $5.5 billion ballot initiative to refinance the state's stem cell research program, which is running out of money.

The new, statewide ban on public gatherings is certain to hamper the gathering of the 600,000-plus signatures needed to place the measure on the November ballot. No one knows how long that ban will be in place. Signature gathering in California largely occurs in public places using paid workers. 

The financial fallout from the crisis also raises questions about whether funds can be raised to support the petition drive -- not to mention a fall ballot campaign that could cost in the neighborhood of $50 million. The usual contributors to such an effort are likely to feel financially squeezed, plus they may be refocusing on new and higher priorities dealing with health care, if they have cash they are willing to contribute.

The impact of the coronavirus crisis has already knocked off one ballot measure in Palo Alto, a wealthy Silicon Valley enclave.  The school board there this week removed a $16-million-a-year property tax measure from its May ballot.  An article in the Palo Alto Daily Post said, 

"'In order to do even a high-polling ballot initiative … the committee doing it needs to have a certain amount of resources, including money raised and feet on the street,' (school) trustee Melissa Baten-Caswell said. 'It is really not conceivable that they’re going to have enough to run the rest of the campaign in this time frame.'

The financial squeeze is also being reported nationally. Some big national political donors backed the measure that created the stem cell program 15 years ago.  Politico wrote just this morning,

"Campaigns across the country have canceled face-to-face fundraisers for the foreseeable future and are scrambling to figure out how to raise enough money to stay solvent. Big donors' stock portfolios are tanking. And small-dollar, online contributors — who have never been more important to campaigns — are facing sudden financial uncertainty and the real possibility of unemployment."

Backers of the $5.5 billion stem cell initiative have until June 15 to complete the qualification process, which goes beyond simply gathering signatures. They must be verified by election officials as valid signatures of registered voters which can take some time. 

The campaign had expected to submit more than enough signatures by late April. The California Stem Cell Report has queried the campaign for comment, but has received none. 

The stem cell agency, known formally as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), was created in 2004 by voters with $3 billion in funding. It is now down to it last $27 million for awards. 

Coronavirus Shutdown Hits California's Stem Cell Agency; Effort to Re-finance Research Program Hampered

California's $3 billion stem cell agency closed its physical doors this morning to avoid being considered, along with thousands of other San Francisco Bay Area enterprises, an "imminent threat to public health" under the terms of strict, new government orders. 

Maria Millan, CEO and president of the Oakland-based agency, told her 34 employees yesterday that the action was being taken in compliance with legal orders issued by six Bay Area counties. The agency's staff will continue their work from home or elsewhere.

The stringent directives affect seven million people and businesses ranging from retail to entertainment. But many enterprises were exempted because of the services or goods they provide, such as supermarkets and banks. 

Violation of the orders is deemed to be "an imminent threat to public health," a formidable piece of legalese that can be enforced by police. 

The orders generally ban public gatherings, which would seem to mean effectively a ban in the Bay Area on public gathering of signatures to qualify a $5.5 billion stem cell research measure for the November ballot. The agency is running out of money and hopes to stave off its financial demise with approval of the measure next fall. 

The deadline for completing the tedious qualification process for the ballot measure is June 15. Backers of the measure had hoped to have more than enough signatures by the end of April. 

Yesterday's orders are in effect until at least April 7.

As a practical matter, the process of soliciting signatures for ballot measures in California was already encountering barriers because of safe distance and other concerns. 

The campaign  has not yet responded to questions concerning the impact of coronavirus situation. 

The agency, formally known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), had already allowed its employees to work from home. The agency funds research but does not actually perform it. 

Americans for Cures, a Palo Alto patient advocacy group supporting the measure, said it would be working remotely in compliance with the new orders. The group was founded by Robert Klein, who oversaw preparation of the proposed stem cell initiative.

The agency says that none of its current portfolio, which includes 60 clinical trials, has specific application to the coronavirus. Here is the text of the note that Maria Millan, CEO and president of CIRM. sent to the agency's team yesterday.

"As we enter week two of our agency-wide telecommute, the COVID-19 crisis continues to intensify, resulting in additional containment measures with an increasing number of school, university and business closures, cancellation of gatherings, and severe travel restrictions. In addition, a three week 'shelter in place' order has just been issued for six counties in the Bay Area- San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa. As stated last week, this situation remains fluid, we are monitoring it closely and I am remaining in close contact with the LT, HR and our Board so we can continue to take appropriate action as needed.

"We are committed to working with our community to deploy containment measures in order to 'flatten the curve' of this outbreak and, as always, we are committed to the health and well-being of our employees and their families. In this spirit, and taking into account the containment response timing in our local communities, we will extend the CIRM agency-wide telecommute plan to April 13 . We will be in constant contact and will notify you of any additional changes. To date, there have been no documented or reported COVID-19 cases or exposure in CIRM employees.   "Thank you for continuing our important work at CIRM, for your responsive support of our programs/grantees/patient advocates during this crisis and for continuing to execute our strategic goals. I’d like to acknowledge our IT department who have armed us with the technological tools to work remotely, our project managers for coordinating us and keeping the schedules on track and leadership for enabling their teams to remain productive. "Please feel free to contact your manager, HR, Maria B or me if you have any questions related to CIRM’s COVID response or if you need assistance in transitioning to the agency-wide CIRM telecommute plan. "Take good care & look forward to working with you from a distance (for now)."

Fresh Hurdles for $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Measure: Coronavirus and Safety Distance

Signature gathering -- Too close for safety?  Photo Hero Images

The current coronavirus emergency and the practice of social distancing are likely to put a crimp in gathering signatures to qualify a $5.5 billion stem cell initiative for the November ballot in California.

The situation is already troubling much smaller petition efforts in New York State where state legislative candidates need as few as 500 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

One candidate going door-to-door reported that a resident shouted through a window, 

“I don’t want to talk to anybody or open the door!” 

In California, 623,212 valid signatures are needed to put the $5.5 billion stem cell proposal on the ballot. Backers had hoped to have well over that by the end of April.

Without voter approval of the measure, the state stem cell agency, formally known as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), will go out of business. It was created by voters in 2004 with $3 billion but is running out of money.

Other major ballot proposals are also caught in the safety distance pinch. The include ones dealing with sports betting, dialysis clinics, packaging waste reduction and a measure to modify Prop. 13, the property tax law of 1978.

Whether they are affected in a significant way depends on individual deadlines and how many signatures they have to date. Gathering signatures for a ballot measure is an expensive proposition that requires hiring signature gathering firms that, in turn, hire the "gatherers" to be in places with high pedestrian traffic. The signing process also requires what some persons might regard as less than safe physical distances in supermarket parking lots and other locations. Shoppers may well be more focused on stocking up rather than signing up. 

In New York state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has sharply reduced the amount of signatures required for candidates to qualify for the ballot.  

In a statement, Cuomo said,
"Public health experts have been clear that one of the most common ways to communicate COVID-19 is through direct person to person contact, and we are doing everything in our immediate power to reduce unnecessary interactions.

"This executive order modifies the election process in a way that both protects public health and ensures the democratic process remains healthy and strong regardless of the ongoing pandemic."

Any impediments to gathering signatures in California are likely to mean increased expense. In 2018, costs ran as high as $9 a signature. 

It is not clear that the California governor or other state officials can do anything to deal with the slowdowns in signature gathering, which affect other efforts besides the stem cell initiative. However, state lawmakers might be able to make an immediate change in state law with a two-thirds vote of both houses and the agreement of the governor. 

To make the November ballot, the stem cell initiative campaign must clear the certification process by June 15.  The campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.