County Clerk Petitions Court Over Initiative

VENTURA COUNTY —  Saying he wants to prevent “irreparable harm” to voters, County Clerk Richard Dean petitioned a court Thursday to let him begin laying the groundwork for putting the controversial tobacco initiative on the November ballot in case a judge declares it legal.

Dean asked the Ventura County Superior Court for permission to solicit arguments for and against the Community Memorial Hospital-sponsored initiative so he can keep the election schedule on track.

A judge will hear the petition this morning.

But county officials quickly opposed the move, saying it was a waste of taxpayer money and no action should be taken until a judge rules whether the initiative is legal.

Community Memorial’s proposed measure seeks to wrest control of the county’s $260 million in tobacco settlement money and turn it over to seven private area hospitals.

The money comes from a national tobacco settlement and is supposed to help public hospitals recoup the cost of treating patients with smoking-related illnesses. Community Memorial officials claim the county will use the roughly $10 million a year over the next 25 years to pay off debts and to fund unrelated health care programs. County supervisors voted last week to spend all of the money on health care.

Last month, supervisors declared the initiative illegal and ordered Dean to keep it off the ballot. Dean told supervisors they had no authority to do so.