Calif. measure aimed at illegals' benefits

LOS ANGELES, July 13 (UPI) -- Organizers for a California ballot measure that would deny benefits to illegal aliens and their U.S.-born children say they are launching a petition drive.

Unveiled recently by San Diego political activist Ted Hilton, the initiative seeks to cut off public benefits for illegal immigrants, end welfare payments for their children -- who would be defined as non-citizens -- and institute new rules for birth certificates, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Hilton told the newspaper his group has raised $350,000 so far, well short of the $4 million usually needed to hire enough petition-gatherers for such statewide ballot initiatives. Some 488,000 valid signatures would be required to place the referendum on the June 2010 ballot.

Backers would also have to win court arguments that the initiative wouldn't violate the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and the State wherein they reside."

The Times said officials estimate $4 billion to $6 billion of the state's roughly $105 billion budget is spent on California's roughly 2.7 million illegal residents.