On August 6, California Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) again introduced his old bill to make it criminal for a group to pay registration drive workers on a per-registration card basis, “either directly or indirectly.” This is the same wording that was formerly in AB 2058. Now it is AB 145.
AB 145 was introduced in 2011 and changed certain aspects of the High Speed Rail Authority. It had passed the Assembly on June 3, 2011, but had not passed the State Senate. The former contents of AB 145 are now deleted, and the bill now deals with voter registration. The legislature meets for four more weeks.
The bill is now co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton). Ironically, given that both authors are Democrats, last week a U.S. District Court enjoined a Texas law that made it illegal to pay registration drive workers if payment was associated with productivity of that worker. That Texas case was won by an attorney who often represents the Texas Democratic Party.
What is it with Democrat state legislators in California that they want to forbid paying petition circulators (or registration circulators)?
I don’t see the logic, unless they have proof of massive fraud in the circulation of candidate/party/issue petitions. And even then, just because someone committed fraud (if that has happened, which I don’t know) there’s no need to punish everybody else.
It’s because Democrats have a big majority in California and Republicans regularly pay for registrations.
In Texas it is the other way around.
So sorry. I’m in St. Petersburg, Russia and will return by early September, so may not be able to testify,