Breaking: SMACKDOWN! California Gov. Brown Rejects Legislature’s Restrictions Again
With his veto of SB 448, California Governor Jerry Brown has rejected the state Legislature’s attempt to restrict citizen petitions for the second time in just over a month. Responding to the bill’s draconian requirement that petition circulators wear a badge while talking to voters, the Governor asked:
If it is acceptable to force paid signature gatherers to place identifying badges on their chests, will similar requirements soon be placed on paid campaign workers?
Clearly, Brown saw the absurdity of the badge proposal:
I choose not to go down this slippery slope where the state decides what citizens must wear when petitioning their government.
Last month Gov. Brown firmly rejected a legislative proposal, SB 168, to ban productivity pay on petition drives, noting that it would have empowered special interests while weakening grassroots citizen groups (his veto earned the Governor the August John Lilburne award from our partner organization, Citizens in Charge Foundation). The badge bill was brought up shortly after SB 168 was vetoed as legislators scrambled to pass some kind of restriction on petition rights before adjourning for the year. Voting on both bills has been along party lines, with the only resistance coming from Republican legislators, who are in the minority.
With his second veto, Gov. Brown has again shown a willingness to take on his own party’s legislators in order to protect the peoples’ voice. We applaud the Governor and hope that he will continue to protect voters’ initiative rights from forces in the Legislature seeking to concentrate their power.
You can view the Governor’s veto message here (.pdf).
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Why is California in trouble? Some say it’s because of the on slot of illegal immigrants is why we are in this state. Well immigration is a small part of California’s troubles. Most of California’s problem is it’s Taxation and Fees it charges for business. If California can’t tax it they charge an outrageous fees to support it. You wonder why Retail and Corporations are moving out of California in droves TAXATION AND FEES!! The California EPA & CARB are the biggest reason to California employment downfall. These two groups supported by Legislation come up with fees and taxes to charge business just to justify their own existence. I’m all for a safe clean environment but these groups have no checks and counter checks in place to make sure what grandiose ideas they come up with is feasible for companies and the people to pay and follow. We can no longer afford to go in this downward spiral we call a state. Governor Brown, Legislators, and Congress you all are on notice. Get this State back on it’s feet with out killing it with unfair fees and taxation. Give Business a big break allow them to work in this state and employ the California citizens. This is the only way unemployment goes down. With out the peoples support you have no job!
Hopefully, Gov. Brown will take the same act towards the Calif. version of the DREAM Act and VETO in-state tuition rates for illegal aliens and their children.
California and the nation can not continue to support and pay for the education of illegal aliens.
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