• SEIU Member Research Guide

In 2016, over 3,000 SEIU members in California participated in town halls, candidate interviews, and debates to set SEIU’s 2016 agenda. This booklet contains members’ recommendations on key candidates and ballot measures on the ballot in November.

There will be 17 state ballot initiatives to decide on this year – longer than ever.

SEIU members took positions on nine of these initiatives with an eye on building up California workers and investing in the next generation. We believe the way to do that is to put more resources into schools and get smarter on crime so we can spend less on costly prisons. We also need to build our infrastructure and protect our environment.

Members asked our Research Department to present the information in a way that helps you weigh the issue and decide for yourself. In this pamphlet, you will find:

  • SEIU members’ endorsed ballot measure positions
  • How SEIU members are affected
  • Who supports and who opposes the initiative and what they’re saying
  • Where to go for more information

We hope this format is helpful.

† By filling out your mobile number, you are signing up for text message alerts from SEIU California. We will never charge you for text message alerts, but carrier message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to 787753 to unsubscribe, and HELP for more info. Periodic updates, up to 2 per month.

U.S. PRESIDENT


SEIU MEMBERS RECOMMEND: HILLARY CLINTON

SEIU California members endorse Hillary ClintonHillary Clinton will defend and continue the progress that we have made in the last eight years on healthcare, workers’ rights, equality, and the environment.

She has detailed plans to tackle numerous issues that SEIU members care about1:

  • Child care for working families
  • Raising wages and creating an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy
  • Comprehensive immigration reform
  • Making college more affordable
  • Protecting our planet and future generations

Also, the next president will be in a position to appoint one or more U.S. Supreme Court justices.2

Effects on SEIU Members

In addition to the issues listed above that affect our families and our communities, SEIU workers’ jobs will also be affected:

  • Home care and nursing home workers face deep cuts to Medi-Cal, one of the main sources of funding for our work, if Republicans control both the White House and Congress.3
  • Healthcare workers will face cuts to Medi-Cal, after years of fighting to increase it, and will also face the devastating consequences of a promised repeal of the Affordable Care Act.4
  • An anti-worker Supreme Court appointment will make it harder for school workers, social workers, and other public servants to come together in a union and have a strong voice.5
  • For private sector workers, Donald Trump has said that wages in this country are “too high” and he does not support our right to form unions.6


Endorsed by:


President Obama
Senator Bernie Sanders

SEIU
Meg Whitman and many other prominent Republicans

For More Information:

Hillary Clinton’s detailed positions and proposals can be found at: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/

For a complete list of endorsers, visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hillary_Clinton_presidential_campaign_endorsements,_2016

  1. https://www.hillaryclinton.com
  2. CBS News http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-next-president-could-reshape-the-supreme-court/
  3. Center for Budget and Policy Priorities http://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/house-gop-budget-gets-62-percentof-
    budget-cuts-from-low-and-moderate-income
  4. Trump campaign website https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/healthcare-reform
  5. Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supreme-court-unions_us_57728dc6e4b0dbb1bbbbf8dc
  6. New York Times: Donald Trump Insists That Wages Are ‘Too High’
    http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/11/11/donald-trump-insists-that-wages-are-too-high/
U.S. SENATE


SEIU MEMBERS RECOMMEND: KAMALA HARRIS

SEIU Members Endorse Kamala HarrisKamala Harris has the courage and the values to help pass new laws and confirm judges who will stand up for working people against corporate special interests. We need a true champion like her as one of California’s two Senators.

Kamala Harris has a strong record of solving problems for our communities:

  • Harris served as the District Attorney of San Francisco, where she combated truancy, prosecuted gun crimes, fought domestic violence, and created “Back on Track,” a nationally recognized initiative to reduce recidivism and make San Francisco communities safer.1
  • Harris currently serves as California’s Attorney General. She stood up to the big banks when they were engaged in rampant illegal foreclosures. She sued them and won the largest settlement in the nation, and she passed the Homeowners Bill of Rights here in California despite intense opposition.2


Effects on SEIU Members

Kamala Harris will be the courageous leader we need in Congress as she fights for fairness in our economy, our immigration system, and our justice system.

  • She supports commonsense immigration reform, which will affect tens of thousands of SEIU workers and their family members in California.
  • She has promised to strengthen and expand Social Security, which many SEIU members rely on.
  • She will support judges who will protect public sector workers’ right to organize.
  • She will protect healthcare funding and fight efforts to cut it, which is vitally important for the 55% of SEIU members who are home care workers, nursing home workers, or healthcare workers.


Endorsed by:


President Obama
Vice President Biden
Governor Jerry Brown
SEIU California
California Democratic Party
National Women’s Political Caucus


For More Information:

Kamala Harris’ detailed positions and proposals can be found at: kamalaharris.org/issues

For a complete list of endorsers, visit: kamalaharris.org/endorsements

  1. “Harris Honors first Back on Track L.A. Participants” by Brandon Brooks & Jennifer Bihm, Los Angeles Sentinel (January 14, 2016)
  2. “For California, Attorney General Insisted on Better Terms in Foreclosure Deal” LA by Shaila Dewan, The New York Times (February 13, 2012)

No On Prop 53

Requires voter approval for revenue bonds over $2 billion

California is in desperate need of improved infrastructure and good jobs. Prop 53 stands in the way of both. Our bridges, roads, dams, and electricity grids shouldn’t be turned into political footballs.

In a Nutshell


  • Makes it harder to pass “revenue bonds” for projects over $2 billion by requiring a statewide vote.
  • Right now, revenue bonds are not repaid by our tax dollars, so they do not require a vote.
  • Revenue bonds are paid by users of the infrastructure being built, such as water systems.1


Effect on SEIU Members


  • Prop 53 would reduce infrastructure investment by making it harder – this affects SEIU members who are involved in managing and carrying out local infrastructure projects.
  • Infrastructure also affects everyone: if our bridges, roads, dams, ports, energy grid, and rail lines fall further into disrepair, our economy will suffer.


Supporters2


Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Supporters Say


Californians should have the right to vote when the state issues massive new debt for multi-billion dollar projects.

Prop 53 would hold politicians accountable and would require them to provide accurate estimates of how much a project would cost.

Opponents


SEIU California
Governor Jerry Brown

Our bridges, roads, dams, and electricity grids shouldn’t be turned into political footballs.



Opponents Say3

California’s infrastructure – bridges, roads, and other major projects – is in desperate need of repair, and this measure will stand in the way.

For many local and regional projects, local voters wouldn’t be able to decide anymore – it would have to be put up to a statewide vote.

Prop 53 contains no exemptions for natural disasters. It could take as long as two years to start repairs on infrastructure after a flood or earthquake.

For More Information:


www.noprop53.com

  1. http://www.ppic.org/content/pubs/jtf/JTF_BondFinancingJTF.pdf
  2. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_53,_Voter_Approval_
    Requirement_for_Revenue_Bonds_above_$2_Billion_(2016)
  3. www.stopblankchecks.com

yeson55

Continues Income Tax on Wealthy to Fund Schools

The most important thing we can do as a state is to invest in the next generation. Prop 55 does exactly that, and no one pays more in taxes than they are paying now.

In a Nutshell


  • Extends current, temporary income tax rates on Californians earning over $250,000 a year or $500,000 for a married couple.
  • This tax has been in place since 2012, when it was passed to prevent cuts to schools. Prop 55 extends the income tax for 12 more years.
  • It will generate $4-9 billion a year.
  • Approximately 50% will go to schools.
  • The rest will go to healthcare, paying down debt, and saving for a rainy day.1


Effect on SEIU Members


  • One in three SEIU members in California works in education or healthcare. Prop 55 provides billions of dollars to fund their vital work.2
  • All workers with children in school or community college will benefit from having better funded schools and colleges.
  • 75% of SEIU workers work for public employers: counties, cities, schools, colleges, the state, and home care public authorities.3 By preventing budget deficits of $4 billion by California in 2019,4 Prop 55 helps all public workers.


Supporters5


California Teachers Association
California Medical Association
California State PTA
SEIU California

The most important thing we can do as a state is to invest in the next generation.


Supporters Say


  • We need to pass Prop 55 in order to prevent $4 billion in cuts to our schools and help our children thrive.
  • No one will pay a higher tax as a result of Prop 55; the wealthiest Californians will simply not be receiving a tax cut.
  • California can’t afford to go back to the days of overcrowding, school cuts, and layoffs.


Opponents


Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Opponents Say3


  • This tax was supposed to be temporary, but now we are being asked to extend it.
  • Taxing wealthy individuals will make them leave the state and move jobs away from California.


For More Information:


www.protectingcalifornia.com

  1. California Attorney General, Official Title and Summary for
    Proposition 55
  2. SEIU Membership Database, Sept. 2016.
  3. SEIU membership Database, Sept. 2016.
  4. “Jerry Brown’s Budget Blowout,” Wall Street Journal, May 18,
    2016.
  5. Yes on Prop 55 website, http://www.protectingcalifornia.com/
    endorsements.

Yes on Prop 56

Adds $2 Tobacco Tax to Prevent Smoking, Fund Health Care

SEIU members who work in healthcare have been leading voices to support this initiative because they see the toll tobacco takes on health, especially for low-income Californians and people of color.

In a Nutshell1


  • Prop 56 would increase the state tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack and apply the tax to e-cigarette products containing nicotine.
  • Revenue would fund existing smoking prevention programs and health care for low-income Californians.



California taxpayers pay $3.5 billion a year in healthcare costs for tobacco-related diseases



Effect on SEIU Members


  • Prop 56’s investment of over $1 billion each year in Medi-Cal will improve healthcare access for families who receive their healthcare through Medi-Cal, an issue that SEIU members have made a top priority for ourstate.2
  • Like all Californians who are parents, SEIU members care about our kids, whose lives this measure aims to save by preventing them from ever starting to smoke.


Supporters5


SEIU California
American Cancer Society
American Heart Association
American Lung Association in California

Supporters Say


  • Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death – taking more than 40,000 lives in California each year.5
  • The U.S. Surgeon General says raising the tobacco tax is the best way to keep kids from ever starting to smoke.
  • California taxpayers pay $3.5 billion a year in healthcare costs for tobacco-related diseases.
  • Big Tobacco opposes this initiative because keeping tobacco costs low keeps our kids6 getting hooked.


Opponents


Philip Morris USA Inc.
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

Opponents Say7


  • Prop 56 is a $1.4 billion “tax hike grab” by insurance companies.
  • If we are going to tax smokers another $1.4 billion per year, more should be dedicated to helping them and keeping kids from starting.6
  • Prop 56 cheats schools out of $600 million a year by circumventing California’s minimum school funding guarantee.


For More Information:


www.Yeson56.org

    1. http://www.lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=56&-
      year=2016
    2. SEIU-UHW web site, http://www.seiu-uhw.org/medi-cal
    3. www.Yeson56.org
    4. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_56,_Tobacco_
      Tax_Increase_(2016)
    5. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, “Toll of Tobacco in California.”
      https://tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/california
    6. Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, “Toll of Tobacco in California.”
      https://tobaccofreekids.org/facts_issues/toll_us/california
    7. http://www.noonproposition56.com

yeson57

Reforms Parole and Juvenile Sentencing

California’s prison population has increased by 500% since the 1970’s, and spending on prisons has surpassed spending on colleges.1 This approach has cost us billions, done nothing to rehabilitate prisoners, and has disproportionately affected communities of color.

In a Nutshell


  • Prop 57 allows nonviolent offenders who finish their sentences to earn credit toward parole for good behavior and rehabilitation.
  • Prop 57 will reduce the number of juveniles sent to adult prisons, because judges not prosecutors will decide whether to try a juvenile as an adult.
  • Prop 57 will save the state tens of millions of dollars annually.2



SEIU members prioritized racial justice at our convention this year. Criminal justice reform is essential to that goal.



Effect on SEIU Members


  • SEIU members are the workers who provide much of the rehabilitation in prisons; they have been deeply cut. SEIU members also provide parole supervision and re-entry support.
  • SEIU members prioritized racial justice at our convention this year. Criminal justice reform is essential to that goal.


Supporters3


Governor Jerry Brown
California Catholic Bishops Association
California Faculty Association
Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce
SEIU California

Supporters Say


  • Prop 57 improves public safety and reduces costs by encouraging prisoners to rehabilitate.
  • Prop 57 will save money better spent on education.
  • Racial disparities plague our criminal justice system. Mass incarceration disproportionately affects communities of color.
  • We need to get smarter on crime and shift more of our resources to things like schools and colleges.


Opponents4


San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer
California District Attorneys Association
California Peace Officers Association

Opponents Say


  • Prop 57 allows government bureaucrats to determine what is “good behavior” and release dangerous criminals from prison.
  • Prop 57 will increase crime.


For More Information:


www.ballotpedia.org
www.vote4prop57.com

  1. University of California website, http://universityofcalifornia.edu/infocenter/california-expenditures-corrections-and-public-education
  2. California Attorney General’s Official Title and Summary of Prop 57, http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/propositions/57/title-summary. htm
  3. Yes on Prop 57 website, http://vote4prop57.com/endorsements
  4. No on Prop 57 website, http://www.stop57.com/coalitions/

Yes on Prop 58

Promotes English Proficiency & Multilingual Education

Prop 58 ensures that all students can learn English as quickly as possible and that more children can learn two languages. Currently, an outdated law bans what we know to be the most effective way to teach English-language learners: using a combination of English language immersion and instruction in their native language.1

In a Nutshell


  • Prop 58 overturns portions of Prop 227, which was passed in the 1990’s to require English-only instruction for English language learners.2


Effect on SEIU Members


  • SEIU members whose children are English language learners will benefit from the best available instruction.
  • SEIU members whose children already speak English will have more chances to learn a second language.


Supporters3


Governor Jerry Brown
State Superintendent Tom Torlakson
California Chamber of Commerce
California Faculty Association
California Federation of Teachers
League of Women Voters of California
Los Angeles Times
SEIU California

Supporters Say


  • Prop 58 restores local control to our schools.
  • Prop 58 provides a better future for our children and our state.
  • Prop 58 has broad‐based support from local school districts, educators, parents and employers.


Opponents4


Ron Unz, advocate for Proposition 227
Mauro E. Mujica, U.S. English Chairperson

Opponents Say


  • Prop 58 is a “dishonest trick.”
  • Vote no and keep “English for the children”


For More Information:


www.supportprop58.com

  1. The Fresno Bee, “‘Yes’ vote on Prop 58 will ease school language barriers,” September 25, 2016
  2. California Secretary of State, “California General Election November 8, 2016, Official Voter Information Guide,” accessed August 18, 2016

 

Yes on Prop 62

Repeals the Death Penalty

California’s death penalty system is broken beyond repair. Over 150 people on death row have been exonerated by DNA and other evidence – unfortunately, too late for some of them, who have already been executed.1 Prop 62 fixes the death penalty by replacing it with life without parole, guaranteeing that the state will not make this kind of irreversible mistake.

In a Nutshell


  • Repeals the death penalty in California and replaces it with life without parole.
  • Requires all persons convicted of murder to work for the rest of their life in prison and pay restitution to the family of their victim.2
  • Estimated to save $150 million annually.3


Effect on SEIU Members


  • The cost savings could be allocated for general fund use.
  • SEIU members from across the country came together at our national convention and decided this year to fight against systemic racial injustice.


Supporters


SEIU California
ACLU California
Amnesty International
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders
Dolores Huerta
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez

Supporters Say4


  • The death penalty is one of the most egregious examples of racial injustice in our criminal justice system, because it involves taking away someone’s life, and research has demonstrated that bias pervades the process at every step.
  • Since 1978, California taxpayers have paid $5 billion to maintain the death penalty and death row, and executed 13 people. That’s an average cost of more than $384 million per execution.
  • Yes on Prop 62 replaces a failed death penalty system with a strict life sentence, work, and restitution – saving taxpayers $150 million per year.


Opponents


California Correctional Peace Officers Association
California Association of Highway Patrolman

Opponents Say


  • The proposition would end the death penalty system when it should be mended.
  • The proposition would protect the worst criminals while diminishing protection or hurting victims.
  • The proposition would cost taxpayers millions of dollars.


For More Information:


www.yeson62.com

  1. “Facts about the Death Penalty,” Death Penalty Information Center. (August 30, 2016)
  2. California Secretary of State, “California General Election November 8, 2016, Official Voter Information Guide,” accessed August 18, 2016
  3. http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/en/propositions/62/title-summary. htm
  4. California Proposition 62, Repeal of the Death Penalty, Ballotpedia. org, accessed September 27, 2016

yeson63

New gun safety requirements

Our members have seen the ravages of gun violence on our workplaces, neighborhoods, and the people we serve. Prop 63 puts sensible gun safety measures in place to protect our communities.

In a Nutshell


  • Puts teeth in current laws prohibiting some convicted criminals from owning firearms.
  • Puts in place a new court process to ensure these individuals turn in their guns.1
  • Requires buyers to have a state-issued permit to buy bullets, and closes a loophole on possession of high-capacity magazines.2


Effect on SEIU Members


  • Prop 63 would make our workplaces and communities safer by keeping illegal guns off our streets.


Supporters3


SEIU California
Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom
California Democratic Party
Stop Handgun Violence

Supporters Say


  • More than 32,000 Americans lose their lives to gun violence each year, but the National Rifle Association (NRA) has obstructed even the most basic gun safety measures.
  • By voting yes on Prop 63, Californians can stand up to the NRA and make our communities safer.


Opponents4


National Rifle Association
California Republican Party
California Police Chiefs Association


Opponents Say5


  • Prop 63 makes it harder for law-abiding citizens to buy and own guns and ammunition.
  • Prop 63 will cost taxpayers millions of dollars without reducing gun violence.
  • Prop 63 would divert law enforcement resources away from fighting criminals.


For More Information:


www.safetyforall.com

  1. http://www.lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?num- ber=63&year=2016
  2. http://www.lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=63&- year=2016
  3. http://safetyforall.com/endorsements/
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_63,_Background_ Checks_for_Ammunition_Purchases_and_Large-Capacity_Am- munition_Magazine_Ban_(2016)
  5. http://safetyforall.com/learn-more/

noon65

Takes Reusable Bag Money From Local Retailers

Prop 65 is one of the worst examples of using the initiative process to deceive voters. It pretends to be about protecting wildlife, but its real purpose is to undermine California’s single use plastic bag ban.

In a Nutshell


  • Creates a brand new wildlife protection fund
  • Requires that the fee for re-usable bags be diverted from local retailers to this new fund
  • Contains legal provision that could kill the single-use plastic bag ban


Effect on SEIU Members


  • SEIU members support a statewide plastic bag ban (Prop 67) instead of Prop 65 because we care about the future of California and the environment our children and grandchildren will grow up in.


Supporters3


Hilex Poly Co., LLC1
Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A.2
Advanced Polybag, Inc.3

Supporters Say4


  • Prop 65 redirects millions of dollars in bag taxes into an environmental fund.
  • This fund will be run by the California Wildlife Conservation Board to support worthy environmental projects.


Opponents4


SEIU California
League of Women Voters of California
Clean Water Action


Opponents Say5


  • Prop 65 pretends to be about protecting wildlife, but it’s really a trick to help overturn California’s plastic bag ban that will keep hundreds of millions of plastic bags out of our environment.
  • Prop 65 is backed by the big out-of-state plastic companies.


For More Information:


www.ballotpedia.org

  1. http://www.sayyeson65.com
  2. http://www.sayyeson65.com
  3. http://www.sayyeson65.com
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/ California_Proposition_65, _Dedication_of_Revenue_from_Disposable_Bag_Sales_to_Wildlife_Conservation_Fund_ (2016)
  5. http://www.sayyeson65.com

noon66

Removes Death Penalty Safeguards

California’s death penalty system is broken beyond repair. Over 150 people on death row have been exonerated by DNA and other evidence – unfortunately, too late for some of them, who have already been executed.1 Prop 66 aims to accelerate executions by removing Constitutional protections2 and making California’s law more like Texas’.

In a Nutshell


  • Requires faster executions with a hard deadline.
  • Removes Constitutional protections to prevent the execution of innocent people.
  • Requires inexperienced attorneys to take on complex capital punishment cases.


Effect on SEIU Members


  • SEIU members from across the country came together at our national convention and decided this year to fight against systemic racial injustice. This measure will increase racial injustice.


Supporters


California District Attorneys Association
California Association of Highway Patrolman

Supporters Say4


  • Prop 66 would keep the death penalty system, which California needs.
  • Prop 66 would mean that the worst criminals receive the strongest sentence.
  • Prop 66 would provide closure to victims’ families.


Opponents


SEIU California
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom
ACLU of California
California Democratic Party
Libertarian Party of California


Opponents Say


  • Prop 66 would increase California’s risk of executing an innocent person, and would remove important legal safeguards.
  • The proposition would cost taxpayers millions of dollars unnecessarily, due to increased prison spending, legal defense, death row facility construction, and litigation.
  • The proposition is poorly written and confusing.


For More Information:


www.nooncaprop66.org

  1. Facts about the Death Penalty,” Death Penalty Information Center. (August 30, 2016)
  2. California Proposition 66, Death Penalty Procedures, Ballotpedia. org, accessed September 27, 2016

yeson67

Upholds California’s Plastic Bag Ban

Every year, California spends over $100 million dollars cleaning up plastic bag litter. By 2050, there will be more plastic bags by weight in the ocean than fish, and plastic, which never biodegrades, is a poisonous threat to 663 species of ocean life.1 We owe our children healthy oceans.

In a Nutshell


  • California already passed a plastic bag ban to help our environment and keep our ocean clean, but big plastic companies are trying to overturn it.
  • Prop 67 would keep California’s single-use plastic bag ban. No changes will take place in jurisdictions that have local bag bans.2


Effect on SEIU Members


  • SEIU members support Prop 67 because we care about the future of California and the environment our children and grandchildren will grow up in.


Supporters3


SEIU California
Sierra Club California
League of Women Voters of California

Supporters Say5


  • Before California passed a ban to phase out single use plastic bags, the state used 30 billion bags a year.
  • These bags harm sea animals like turtles and birds and create giant plastic garbage patches in our oceans.
  • Out-of-state plastic companies are behind the effort to overturn this crucial environmental protection law.


Opponents4


Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
The Dow Chemical Company
California Manufacturers and Technology Association
American Forest & Paper Association


Opponents Say6


  • Prop 67 would cost consumers more money, as it would extend the 10 cent charge for paper or thicker plastic reusable bags statewide.
  • Grocers would keep the revenue from reusable bag fees instead of directing this money to help the environment.
  • Single-use bags are more sanitary and prevent the spread of diseases.


For More Information:


www.CAyeson67.com

  1. http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/top-10-reasons-tovote-
    yes-on-prop-67-for-a-california-bag-ban
  2. http://www.lao.ca.gov/BallotAnalysis/Proposition?number=
    67&year=2016
  3. http://www.cayeson67.com/endorse
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_67,_Plastic_Bag_
    Ban_Veto_Referendum_(2016)
  5. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_67,_Plastic_Bag_
    Ban_Veto_Referendum_(2016)
  6. https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_67,_Plastic_Bag_
    Ban_Veto_Referendum_(2016)