California AG Rob Bonta Rigs Language in Voter ID Initiative
In his latest column in the CA Post, Jon Fleischman reacts to the decision of Democratic AG Rob Bonta to make substantive changes to the way voters will read the Voter ID ballot measure language!
Our morning content is free for all subscribers and guests! Usually our afternoon content is behind a paywall…. If you are not yet a paid subscriber, consider upgrading — you are missing a significant portion of what we produce each week, and your support makes it possible. If you want to get it all and support my efforts, please consider a paid subscription! This afternoon content is not paywalled because has a link to the California Post, which is paywall-free (they make their money from ads). Below the paywall are some great additional political cartoons for our paid subscribers to enjoy!
You can also listen to this post (and the full California Post column) on our podcast feed, So, Does It Matter? SPOKEN. It is available on your favorite podcast app. And you can listen to it here.
California AG Rob Bonta Rigs Language in Voter ID Initiative
My latest California Post column looks at a dramatic rewrite of the official language describing Proposition 39 — and what it reveals about the power California’s attorney general holds over the words voters see on their ballots.
More than 1.3 million Californians signed petitions to place a voter ID initiative on the November ballot.
But after the measure qualified, Attorney General Rob Bonta replaced the straightforward title used during signature gathering with something far more politically charged.
The initiative itself did not change.
The state’s description of it did.
In my full California Post column, I compare the before-and-after language, examine how Bonta has described measures backed by his political allies, and speak with a veteran California election-law attorney about just how unusual this rewrite is.
The larger issue goes beyond voter ID.
When one party controls every statewide constitutional office and holds commanding legislative majorities, the supposedly neutral language presented to millions of voters matters enormously.
The attorney general’s job is to describe ballot measures fairly — not put a political thumb on the scale.