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California is choosing a new governor next year. And a lieutenant governor.



But this being California, the real action is more likely to revolve around citizen initiatives which, since their populist-inspired creation in 1911, have tended to have more impact on how California works (or doesn’t work) than do elected officials.

So far, 38 of them are in the works for 2018. Not all of them are going to draw enough signatures to make the ballot, but some of them are. Here are three worth watching now.

• Gas taxes. California lawmakers this year passed legislation to raise gas taxes to finance $52.4 billion in road improvement. The roads are clearly in bad shape — no argument there — but taxes are always a hard sell in California. An initiative that has stirred concern among Democratic leaders would throw out that tax. The effort is being led by Travis Allen, a Republican member of the Assembly who is running for governor. Chances of passing: Decent.