On May 23, the California Assembly passed AB 1038. This is the bill that makes it illegal, “directly or indirectly” to pay registration drive workers on the basis of how many registrations they obtain for any particular party. Because the only way a party can get on the ballot, or stay on the ballot, is by increasing its registration, the bill, if signed into law, will injure minor parties.
The vote was 41-18. If the bill had received fewer than 41 votes, it would not have passed. Now it goes to the Senate.
If it had received fewer than 41 votes, it would have been placed on call. If memory serves, in the California legislature members who are not present on the floor can add their votes later in the day. Published vote totals are generally somewhat higher than the number of votes cast on the floor.
The real issue with this bill is whether the revision from the 2011 and 2012 versions can overcome Governor Brown’s objections that caused him to veto the earlier bills. They would have banned payment on a per signature basis. This bill would ban payment based on the party affiliation chosen on the registration form.
More standard work by the minority rule gerrymander monsters.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.