California proposition palooza + State Democrats endorse more Assembly candidates

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

WHO’S FIGHTING FOR AND AGAINST CALIFORNIA’S SEVEN PROPOSITIONS?

The California Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday released official ballot arguments for the seven propositions voters will consider in the November general election.

Californians will get a say on everything from an abortion rights constitutional amendment to sports betting. And yes, Golden State voters will get yet another chance to consider rule changes for kidney dialysis centers, an issue that also appeared on ballots in 2018 and 2020.

Here are all seven ballot measures and who wrote the arguments for and against them. However, as Politico’s Jeremy White noted on Twitter, it’s important to remember that “main funders don’t appear in ballot arguments.”

Various companies and interest groups are spending millions of dollars to get certain propositions passed or defeated, but they won’t be visible to voters when they read the arguments in their ballots.

• Proposition 1: Would add an amendment to the state constitution that gives Californians “the fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.”
  
  Arguing in favor: California Medical Association board chair Shannon Udovic-Constant, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California president Jodi Hicks and League of Women Voters of California president Carol Moon Goldberg.
  
  Arguing against: Gynecologist Dr. Anne Marie Adams, International Faith Based Coalition president Tak Allen and Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno.

• Proposition 26: Would allow “federally recognized Indian tribes to operate roulette, dice games, and sports wagering on-site on tribal lands,” as well as “sports wagering at certain licensed horse racing tracks in four counties.
  
  Arguing in favor: Barona Band of Mission Indians tribal vice-chairwoman Beth Glasco, American Indian Chamber of Commerce president Tracy Stanhoff and Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria president Greg Sarris.
  
  Arguing against: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals president Madeline Bernstein, California Black Chamber of Commerce president Jay King and National Veterans Foundation president Floyd Meshad.

• Proposition 27: Legalizes “online and mobile sports wagering,” and specifies that “such wagering may be offered only by federally recognized Indian tribes and eligible businesses that contract with them.”
  
  Arguing in favor: San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness CEO Tamera Kohler, Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California chairman Jose “Moke” Simon and Local Initiatives Support Corporation San Diego executive director Ricardo Flores.
  
  Arguing against: Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian National chairperson Lynn Valbuena, Ione Band of Miwok Indians chairperson Sara Dutschke and Salvation Army of San Bernardino business administrator Steven Pinckney.

• Proposition 28: Would provide “additional funding for arts and music education in all K-12 public schools” using General Fund dollars equal to 1% of state and local education funding.
  
  Arguing in favor: Californians for Arts and Music in Public Schools chairman Austin Beutner, California Teachers Association president E. Toby Boyd and California State PTA president Carol Green.
  
  Arguing against: No one.

• Proposition 29: “Requires physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, with six months’ relevant experience, on site during treatment at outpatient kidney dialysis clinics.”
  
  Arguing in favor: Dialysis patient care technician Emanuel Gonzales, Baptist Ministers Conference of Los Angeles president Rev. Kisheen W. Tulloss and dialysis patient advocate Cecilia Gomez-Gonzalez.
  
  Arguing against: Kidney dialysis patients Anthony Hicks, Angelic Nicole Grant and Gregory Ridgeway.

• Proposition 30: “Increases tax on personal income over $2 million by 1.75% for individuals and married couples” and uses the money to fund zero-emission vehicle incentives, charging stations and wildfire prevention and suppression programs.
  
  Arguing in favor: California State Firefighters president Tim Edwards, David Tom Cooke of the American Lung Association and Coalition for Clean Air vice chair Sherry Jackman.
  
  Arguing against: Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association president Jon Coupal, California Small Business Association president Betty Jo Toccoli and United Latinos Action president Joe Coto.

• Proposition 31: A referendum on a law the state Legislature passed in 2020 that “prohibits the retail sale of certain flavored tobacco products,” including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, chewing tobacco and snuff.
  
  Arguing in favor: American Academy of Pediatrics California executive director Karmi Ferguson, American Heart Association executive vice president Kathy Rogers and American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network national board member Jose Ramos.
  
  Arguing against: Former California Department of Finance director Michael Genest, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce president Julian Canete and California Taxpayer Protection Committee president Tom Hudson.

DEMOCRATS ENDORSE MORE CANDIDATES FOR GENERAL ELECTION

The California Democratic Party recently made preliminary endorsements in a handful of races in which it declined to back candidates during the June primaries.

In races with two Democrats advancing to the general election, party members can vote to endorse candidates or offer no endorsement for the race. Candidates who receive more than 60% of votes get the nod.

Although results are not yet certified, Democrats provisionally endorsed in three races: Assembly District 10 in Elk Grove and south Sacramento, Assembly District 17 in San Francisco and Assembly District 20, which includes Hayward and a portion of Fremont in the Bay Area.

Democrats selected Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra with 67% of the vote over Elk Grove City Councilwoman Stephanie Nguyen.

Progressive Caucus members are trying to remove Nguyen as a Democratic delegate for allegedly backing a Republican Sacramento County Board of Supervisors candidate in the June primary.

Guerra celebrated the endorsement on Twitter, saying it is “showing our strength as we head to November.”

“Together we can build a stronger future for the people of Sacramento and Elk Grove by working together and never sacrificing our Democratic values,” Guerra said.

For AD-17, the party endorsed Assemblyman Matt Haney, who’s running for a full term after winning a special election to replace an outgoing assemblyman who became San Francisco’s city attorney.

The party also endorsed Alameda Labor Council secretary-treasurer Liz Ortega in AD-20. Ortega is running to replace Assemblyman Bill Quirk, who’s retiring at the end of his term.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The Ca. Auditor, Just released an audit on our water systems: Disadvantaged communities have poor water and getting state board to approve funds to clean up water systems is taking 3 years. This is outrageous! I am not surprised, we are stuck! Delay, delay, delay,we need action!”

- Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, via Twitter.

Best of the Bee:

• Here’s what another likely Fed interest rate hike could mean for Californians, via David Lightman and Hanh Truong.

• Trailblazing California civil rights lawyer to retire after decades fighting for farmworkers, via Mathew Miranda.

• California too slow to help Valley communities with tainted drinking water, auditor says, via Dale Kasler.

• Could a tax on the wealthy help California fight climate change? Newsom and state Democrats disagree, via Owen Tucker-Smith.