With an out-of-touch majority in the capitol, the underrepresented (minority) viewpoint in Sacramento has been forced to use the initiative process to protect our freedoms. Because of the success in using initiatives, liberals have decided to protect their concentrated power by reining in the initiative process. Assemblyman Alberto Torrico has introduced AB 1914, a bill that will deter average citizens from participating in initiative, referendum, or recall campaigns. The bill will be heard in the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee this afternoon.
Under current law, it’s a misdemeanor for petition circulators to “intentionally misrepresent or make any false statement” about a petition’s content or effect in order to obtain signatures. Torrico wants to invalidate every signature collected by a circulator convicted under the existing law. This means that an average citizen volunteering for a campaign could be charged with a crime for simply misstating the content of their petition. Going even further, he then wants the proponents of the initiative to contact every signer and explain why their signature was invalidated.
Based on personal experience with the SB 777 referendum, AB 1914 will have a definite chilling effect on citizen involvement; certainly its intended purpose. The average volunteer for these types of campaigns are usually passionate supporters of a cause, not political sophisticates. Even the paid petitions gatherers are often not the most politically astute activists. Some campaigns are well financed and could bear the cost of contacting invalidated petition signers, but for small non-profits supporting an initiative, AB 1914 would impose costly mandates that would deter their involvement as well.
Although AB 1914 seeks to stymie the initiative process, it could end up backfiring—punishing liberal activists for their actions. Take for example the bill’s increased penalties if a signature gatherer refuses to allow a petition signer to read the petition they are signing. As the deadline for the Protect Marriage initiative closes in, a coalition of homosexual advocacy groups, Equality for All, is bent on defeating the initiative’s qualifying. According to numerous communications from coalition members, Equality for All has launched a counter campaign to stop the collection of signatures for the marriage petitions.
Activists are encouraged to “track” Protect Marriage’s petitions by asking any petition circulators they see whether they are collecting for Protect Marriage. They are then instructed to “take over” the location so that the circulator “can’t be there.” Activists should also “actively educate voters” as to why they should not sign the marriage petitions.
Doesn’t this tactic violate AB 1914’s intent to create more access to petitions so that voters know what they’re signing (or being intimidated into not signing)? If the Equality for All activists are preventing voters from even looking at the text of the Protect Marriage petition, how can they be “tolerant” and favor “free speech”? Harassing and intimidating average citizens as they grocery shop or visit the mall will not win supporters for your cause, especially when you curtail their political freedom.
March 25th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I’ve seen it first hand at a Target Store where the Equality for All Activists have tried that garbage. The petitioner informed them that interference with someone signing a petition is against that law…and the guy backed away.
The nice thing about activists though, they aren’t paid so they usually find something else to do when they get tire of donating their time. This is why most all petition gatherers are paid…because it’s not worth anyone’s time to gather signatures & take flack for the contents of the issue.