What is it?

Proposition 32 will halt union garnishing of wages to support political campaigns, ban donations to candidates and candidate-controlled committees by unions and corporations and halt corporations with government contracts from donating to the politicians who award them the contracts. There is a lot of money for Sacramento to lose on this proposition but the trade off appears to be the returning of contri-bution power to the working class.

Proposition 32 will have a large financial impact on California’s politicians and indeed on the next elections for senators and all major seats in governments within California.

Pros/Cons

Most of the contributors to California legislators’ campaigns are from outside of their district and Proposition 32 aims to limit this influence as well. Supporters believe in putting the power back in the hands of the people by making sure that all political campaign contributions are voluntary.

“Individual union members are free to directly support the candidate of their choice or contribute voluntarily to their union’s PAC. Employees of large corporations are free to directly support the candidate of their choice, or contribute voluntarily to the company’s PAC,” argues yes on 32.

Opponents say this proposition is a well-written deceptive piece of legislation to silence union members and keep them out of politics, while others say Proposition 32 will do just the opposite and give individual union members the ability to control their contributions.

Those against Proposition 32 cite several problems with the proposition. The first is that it does not limit the power of LLCs, real estate trusts or individuals. Therefore, thousands of business entities are not blocked by Proposition 32. Though the proposition would block payroll deductions, Proposition 32 opponents say, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, corporations spend 15 times more on political campaigns than unions do and Proposition 32 would actually limit the unions from having the same financial footing in politics that corporations have.

Most corporations do not use payroll deductions to con-tribute to campaigns so Proposition 32 would not affect them. But many unions do use payroll deductions for their political influence so their influence would be stunted by Proposition 32. Every person in a union has the right to contribute to campaigns on a voluntary basis, as it is a constitutional right.

“Proposition 32 actually restricts that right. It adds a new requirement that even voluntary contributions from teachers, nurses, firefighters and other union members must be accompanied by annual, written permission to use the funds,” according to an article for the organization No on 32 titled “What 32 Says and What It Really Means.”

Proposition 32 does do one thing that it seems both sides would support in the bill. It bans corporations holding government contracts from contributing to politicians that grant them those contracts. Both sides seem to agree that this is a practice that must be stopped and that it interrupts the economic setting of the state should it be allowed to continue.

Supporters/opponents?

Supporters of Proposition 32 include the Citizens for California Reform, The California Republican Party, California activist Charles Munger Jr. and former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz.

Opponents include the League of Women Voters, the California Democratic Party and the California Labor Federation.

Who’s funding it?

California billionaire activist Charles Munger Jr. has dropped more than $22 million into the campaign to support Proposition 32.