Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto left 4 million California voters unregistered, new report says
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CALIFORNIA EARNS A C+ FOR ITS VOTER REGISTRATION POLICIES
California earned a passing, but mediocre, grade from the Institute for Responsive Government, a nonpartisan nonprofit “dedicated to ensuring state and federal governments work effectively for the very people they serve,” in its latest report card, titled “2024 Election Policy Progress Reports.”
That report can be viewed here.
So how’d California fare? The Golden State earned a C+ from the group, after the state failed to pass a number of recommended electoral reforms to make elections more accessible to all.
“California positions itself as a national leader in elections, but time and time again, leaders in the state fail to take the steps needed to live up to that reputation. Instead of getting meaningful and transformative pro-voter legislation signed into law, California continues to stall on smart, common sense policies that would strengthen the state’s election systems and register more than four million eligible voters,” said institute Executive Director Sam Oliker-Friedland in a statement.
Driving the decision to rate California as firmly mid was Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to veto a bill to overhaul the state’s automatic voter registration system.
“This will continue to leave more than 4 million eligible voters unregistered to vote in the state,” according to the report.
That bill, SB 299, would have required the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Secretary of State’s Office to streamline the voter registration process and would have allowed for voter pre-registration for people deemed eligible for future registration, such as people set to turn 18 before an election.
In his veto statement, Newsom wrote that this system “would require costly and complex changes to the current Motor Voter system.”
“These changes would result in significant ongoing costs, estimated in the tens of millions, which are not accounted for in the 2024 Budget Act,” the governor wrote, adding that “It is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications that are not included in the budget, such as this measure.”
Three states earned an A+: Colorado, Michigan and Minnesota. One state, North Carolina, got a F.
BUTLER ENDORSES TUBBS FOR LT. GOV.
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, who is running as a Democrat to be California’s next lieutenant governor, notched a trio of high-profile endorsements for that bid on Wednesday from former California Sen. Laphonza Butler and Bay Area Congressional Reps. Lateefah Simon and Sam Liccardo.
In a statement, Butler said that Tubbs, who gained national prominence after he championed a universal basic income program for some of his constituents, “has always been about how to do the most good for the most people.”
“He has blazed trails on innovative policies like universal basic income to expand opportunity and prevent people from falling into homelessness. I’m proud to endorse his campaign and support his positive vision for the future of California,” Butler said.
After leaving office in 2021, Tubbs went to work for Newsom as a special adviser for economic mobility, and also founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income and End Poverty in California.
Tubbs is running against former State Sen. Steven Bradford, as well as California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who recently reported raising more than $1.6 million in 2024 in her lieutenant governor bid and has more than $4.2 million in cash on-hand, more than any other candidate in the race.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Governor Newsom continues his desperate attempt to ‘Trump-proof’ California while simultaneously running to President Trump for help. The hypocrisy is astounding.”
- California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson, in a statement Wednesday. Newsom was in Washington, D.C. to meet with Trump and members of Congress seeking federal disaster aid after the Los Angeles wildfires.
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