Source: CPRA records · Shasta County Elections
Phase 4 — Legal challenge
Feb
26
2026
Judge Hanna grants TRO — ballot preparations paused
Judge Benjamin Hanna orders all ballot preparations paused in the pending writ of mandate case. The ballot printing deadline is April 2.
Mar
6
2026
Third Appellate District lifts TRO
Judges Duarte, Mesiwala, and Feinberg pause Hanna's ruling. Ballot preparations resume. The court notes its order "expresses no opinion on the validity of the initiative in question."
Mar
5
2026
Katske receives CPRA records from Elections Office
Jennifer Katske obtains four internal Elections Office documents via Public Records Act — the Talkington email (Exhibit B), the Curtis email (Exhibit C), the Signature Verification Certificate (Exhibit D), and the Petition Summary Report (Exhibit E).
View PRA Request Exhibits B–E (CPRA 25-1021)
Mar
12
2026
TODAY — Supplemental memorandum filed in Superior Court
Katske files a 172-page supplemental brief presenting the CPRA records as exhibits and asking the court to remove Measure B from the June ballot. The same evidence has been delivered to the California Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Department of Justice.
Katske's legal argument: Once the sample validity rate was confirmed,
Elections Code §9115(c)(2) required the Registrar to certify the petition insufficient. The filing argues the word "shall" leaves no discretion, and that applying a different threshold to qualify a failed petition exceeded the Registrar's ministerial authority.
Certificate signed (Exhibit D)
Sep 22
Official Signature Verification Certificate dated September 22, signed by Curtis and Deputy Clerk Osborn.
Internal email sent (Exhibit B)
Sep 24
Talkington's internal email states the petition did not meet the 95% threshold under
Election Code §9115.
Gap between documents
2 days
Katske's filing argues the certification is dated before the internal analysis it was supposed to certify — and applies a different legal threshold than what the petition was circulated under.